EU package benefits Gozo

European Commission ambassador Ronald Gallimore stated that the EU has shown sensitivity to the specificity of the situation in Malta and Gozo.

This was stated during a one-day conference on Gozo and the EU, organised by the Malta-EU Information Centre, organised at Mgarr Hotel last Thursday.

"I can assure you that the final package is a special one, adapted specifically to Malta's needs. A far cry from the one-size-fits-all comments that are sometimes heard.

"One derogation, over 70 special arrangements, two Declarations, a protocol and a wide ranging agricultural package, an impressive financial package; no other candidate country can boast such an impressive achievement," Mr Gallimore said.

He emphasised the difference between a free trade area and EU accession. "In a free trade agreement with the EU for instance, the large body of these regulations would still need to be adopted. This is because products will still need to comply with our internal market requirements.

"However, a country would need not only to adopt these requirements but would also have to eliminate its own internal trade barriers, agricultural and industrial."

These would have to be done without the EU financial support for modernising and restructuring, without being at the table where decisions are taken, without access to EU trade agreements in other markets in the world, or to Community programmes, and without the benefits of free circulation throughout the EU.

He also said that Gozo will be represented in the EU Committee of the Regions where it will have a say in the development of regional mechanisms.

As the Gozitans make their important decision, Mr Gallimore said that they also have to keep in mind that membership is also about sharing and working towards the same vision of solidarity.

Richard Cachia Caruana, chairman of the core negotiating group, said that the most significant Gozo-specific elements of the negotiated package is what will become Declaration 36 of the Accession Treaty on the Island Region of Gozo.

He explained that this declaration lays down the mechanism for the continued eligibility of Gozo to regional policy measures of the EU in the event that Malta would cease to qualify for such measures.

As part of the negotiations, a Gozo Special Needs Assessment was carried out, which has identified specific Gozo-related topics that need to be taken into consideration. This has been used in establishing the priorities that will go into the Single Programming Document, on which expenditure from EU's Structural Funds will be based.

He concluded that although Malta's case is special, "Gozo presents its own exceptions within that special scenario. I am certain that they have been amply catered for in the negotiations."

Minister Giovanna Debono also spoke about the Regional Project Committee which will put into practice the principle of subsidiarity in favour of Gozo.

The Committee will be made up of representatives of the social and economic partners such as the Gozo Tourism Association, the Gozo Business Chamber, Gozitan co-operatives covering agriculture, fisheries and crafts, as well as other voluntary non-governmental organisations together with parastatal organisations involved in the islands' development.

She also assured that "It is the Gozitans who, will provide input into the programming process concerning Gozo's development. It is us Gozitans who will select and implement projects and measures for Gozo ensuring that we will be directly involved in the development process of our island."

Meanwhile, the results of a survey regarding negotiations with the EU, carried out by the Gozo Business Chamber, were announced by chairman president John Magro during the conference.

No fewer than 88 per cent stated that they agree with what was negotiated; 10 per cent expressed diagreement, while 2 per cent chose to either invalidate the questionnaire or to state that they are neutral.