Comodini Cachia reviews first year as MEP

MEP Therese Comodini Cachia described her first year as an MEP as very challenging but rewarding since it provides opportunities to address obstacles that people face in daily life.

Comodini Cachia said this at a seminar in which she hosted a number of stakeholders and constituents so as to communicate her work over these past months since elected in June 2014. 

In three discussion panels composed of experts and stakeholders in their respective fields, aspects of her work in the European Parliament were discussed with members of the panels indicating how this work could affect them.

“As we speak, people in misery are falling victims to a network of resourceful criminals without a conscience whose actions are creative in making money. We are seeking avenues how to follow the trail of these perpetrators and to stop human trafficking and smuggling.”

Comodini Cachia was elaborating about her work as a Member of the Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean and her position as EPP Shadow Rapporteur on human trafficking within the Foreign Affairs sub-committee on Human Rights (DROI).  

Earlier on in the year Comodini Cachia represented the European Parliament in a meeting of the Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean and which adopted a resolution seeking a more coherent cooperation between the EU and Mediterranean countries, proposing more effective measures to address the difficulties in the countries of origin that give rise to irregular immigration and expose people to persecutions.

“I have focused on helping in identifying measures to effectively address human smuggling and trafficking whilst looking towards solutions at source.” said Comodini Cachia.

On a critical note Comodini Cachia remarked that the European Council has failed repeatedly to rise to the occasion, something she described as a huge irony in terms of European principles advocating respect to human rights. 

“We witnessed during these last ten years a series of failures towards upholding human dignity, something which is enshrined in our own principles. I’m afraid we’ve learned nothing from recent tragedies at our shores, repeating the same mistake turning a blind eye on lives of people being lost. We are not shouldering responsibility as a family of States.”

As an active member in the Culture and Education Committee, Comodini Cachia referred to her work as shadow rapporteur on the implemented acts related to Erasmus+ programme, focusing on the need to have education systems that instil aspirations in students and that empower them with the necessary tools to become critical thinkers and to fulfil their  aspirations. 

Flanked by Ferdinando M Galán Palomares, Chairperson of the European Students Union (ESU), who was invited as foreign guest for this seminar, Therese Comodini Cachia MEP thanked ESU for their support towards jointly organising a conference in Brussels on "International Youth Mobility: Beyond Erasmus+ Program - 25 years of Youth Empowering Youth"; and praised them for their efforts towards putting forward proposals on reaching the target of 20% mobile students by 2020.

The Chief Executive Office of the Malta Business Bureau Joe Tanti praised MEP Therese Comodini Cachia for having been available to listen to the concerns of local businesses and raising these in her work at the European Parliament.  He highlighted her engagement with the local industry on sensitive dossiers debated within the Legal Affairs Committee, citing trade secrets and single member companies as examples.

Comodini Cachia referred to a report approved last week concerning copyright legislation.  In her words the balancing act which required end users to benefit from enhanced access to content that is currently available as well as to foster the right environment for the creation of new content was far from easy.

Reacting to a question from a business participant, Comodini Cachia explained that the report on which she was EPP Shadow Rapporteur called for a balanced framework that protected rights holders but also considered the potential of the digital single market and the rights of consumers. 

“This will foster investment in the creative industry, safeguard employment and encourage job creation, while at the same time give the industry an opportunity to embrace digital technologies.”  Comodini Cachia said.

Reacting to a question from the floor on geo-blocking, Comodini Cachia said that a digital single market provides businesses and consumers vast opportunities for portability of content and services.

“Companies which invest in innovative technology should be helped to penetrate European cross-border markets and compete without unnecessary barriers.  Yet territorial licencing may be justified in a few industries especially those that reflect Europe’s cultural and linguistic diversity such as the film industry.” she remarked.