EU membership: Facts and myths

In his Talking Point "To act or to react" (May 11), Desmond Zammit Marmarà starts by accusing the PN of propagating nonsensical statements and fallacious pro-EU arguments, indulging in `clever strategies`, etc. He then proceeds to do that very thing himself.

He starts by telling us that Malta forms "part of Europe by virtue of its geographical position" and of "our traditions, history, beliefs" being "unarguably European". So far so good, nobody would disagree with this.

Mr Zammit Marmarà then immediately contradicts himself by saying that it is more correct to say that ours is a Mediterranean culture and that the "North African influence is present in all aspects of Maltese life" which leads him to utter a whole lot of meaningless nonsense.

He says it is erroneous to "fall in the trap of `Eurocentrism" and that the beauty of the concept of "partnership" forms "part of" a "concept even more far-reaching than European integration"(whatever that means). Heady words indeed, but they are meaningless.

He then goes on to base further arguments against membership in the EU on Malta`s "Unique Euro-Mediterranean culture" and raises the outdated, almost biblical, chestnut of Malta`s "strategic position in the centre of the Mediterranean... at the crossroads of trade between western and eastern parts of the Mediterranean and Europe and North Africa".

This, we are told, is a "great advantage". The EU, he says, "needs Malta" whether as a "full member" or as a "partner". Mr Zammit Marmarà even goes so far as to say "Malta`s strategic position will be used as a bargaining counter in all negotiations". This is pure wishful thinking. The claim that "the EU needs Malta" has no basis.

Things have changed a lot since the middle ages. In this age of fast communication and travel, such talk is nonsense.

Having stressed Malta`s strategic significance, Mr Zammit Marmarà then stresses Malta`s insignificance. He tells us European policy will be decided on what "strong" countries "deem to be in their interest", quite ignoring the fact that, as a member of the EU, Malta will have full representation at the European Parliament.

On a population per capita basis, Malta will have five times as many ministers as, say, Germany. Malta will also be adequately represented in the European Commission, the European Council, the European Court of Justice, the European Court of First Instance, the European Court of Auditors, the European Economic and Social Committee and the European Committee of Regions. In addition to this, the Maltese language will become an official European Union language.

He then continues to tell us "by means of a partnership agreement with the European Union, Malta will remain in the hands of the Maltese".

He says this as though this mythical "partnership agreement" already exists. Such a "partnership agreement" simply does not exist.

It is still a purely speculative thing, pie in the sky. There is no way of telling to what extent the EU will accept the conditions we will ask for under the circumstances.

In addition to losing all the advantages of membership, we and our descendants will face a very uncertain future if we stay out of the European Union and do not succeed in negotiating the desired conditions outside membership of the EU.

The general tenor of Mr Zammit Marmarà`s article is couched in terms aimed at instilling fear into less well-informed readers with phoney predictions of losing our independence and sovereignty.

Thus Mr Zammit Marmarà`s article is peppered with crass wordplay such as "the Maltese government will... be solely dependent on Brussels...." or "to lose (independence) means that (Malta) is always forced to react to what others do" or "Malta will be tying its future to the European chariot".

The EU has now been in existence for 50 years, yet each of the countries in the Union has maintained its independence and jurisdiction over its internal affairs. They have not lost their sovereignty or independence. Very few states or nations can nowadays claim to be sovereign.

No modern state is totally free and independent as they are limited by international laws and treaties as is indeed the case in Malta.

Upon joining the EU, Malta (like every other member state of the EU) will need to adhere to certain rules and regulations largely in respect of work, environment and commerce to harmonise them with those of the EU.

This does not imply that we will have lost our independence or become "solely dependent on Brussels". The aim of many of these rules and laws is to strengthen citizens` democratic rights such as, for instance, workers` rights, consumers` rights, freedom from racial and gender discrimination, pensioners` rights, protection from monopolies, etc.

The situation is simply this: Malta is faced with two choices - membership or non-membership. It is time we stopped using the term "full membership". There is either membership or non-membership and no in-between.

If we opt for membership in the European Union, it will be on the terms we will have negotiated over the coming months and therefore are aware of. So far, we have succeeded in negotiating more favourable terms than anticipated. As negotiations proceed, we are seeing that we face fewer and fewer disadvantages and that the EU recognises our unique situation and is prepared to make concessions accordingly.

If Malta opts for non-membership, we will go back to start again from the beginning. We will face the uncertainty of begging (literally on our knees this time) the EU for concessions while not being at all sure of getting them and with no assurance of the time frame in which our new status will be achieved. Worse than being "dependent on Brussels" (to use Mr Zammit Marmarà`s words again), if we stay out of the Union we will cease to be in a good bargaining position and entirely at the mercy of Brussels.

The nature of our (non-membership) relationship to the EU is still to be determined and is dependent on how much we succeed in negotiating with the EU as non-members.

The slogan "Switzerland in the Mediterranean" (now "partnership", it seems) does not give Malta`s future status any substance.

It remains a concept which is as yet to be defined on the basis of renewed negotiations. A possible end point to the scenario of non-membership is that of Malta remaining independent (whatever that means nowadays) but ending up as a Third World country - and who wants that?

Preserving our so-called independence by not becoming members of the EU will come at a price which will be paid, not by us, but by our children or grandchildren. They will be denied opportunities of a wider education and the advantages of European citizenship with all the privileges that go with this.