MLP hits back at `utter darkness` comment

The Labour Party has reacted to remarks by the head of the environmental committee of the European Parliament, Caroline Jackson, on Friday that the MLP`s EU policy would lead Malta into utter darkness.

George Vella and Joe Mizzi, spokesmen on foreign affairs and the environment, said yesterday that she was the one in the dark about the situation in Malta regarding relations with the European Union.

Dr Vella and Mr Mizzi said that in her hour-long meeting with them on Friday Ms Jackson showed herself not to be well informed on the local social, economic and political situation.

Neither did she have an open mind to listen to different viewpoints, and was not accurate in what she said.

Ms Jackson immediately adopted the attitude that there could be no alternative to EU membership, a mistaken assertion which went against what the MLP had been told by people such as EU Enlargement Commissioner Gunter Verheugen, German European Affairs Minister Christoph Zöpel, Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, former British Minister for European Affairs Keith Vaz and French European Affairs Minister Moscovici.

They had individually told the Labour Party that if the MLP was returned to power they would discuss relations according to the electoral programme the people would have voted for.

Dr Vella and Mr Mizzi said that contrary to Ms Jackson`s comments, she never said, during her meeting with them, that she could not understand the Labour Party`s position. She said she did not agree with it, as was her right.

For her, those countries which would not join the EU would be lost in darkness. But she was so prejudiced in her position and so much in the dark about current circumstance, that she had been unable to counter the arguments made about a partnership with the EU, rather than membership.

With such prejudice, one could hardly reach an objective judgment.

The Labour officials said Ms Jackson was mistaken when she alleged that had the Labour government not frozen Malta`s application to join the EU, Malta would have received enough financial assistance to enable it to solve its environmental problems.

She was reminded at the meeting that Cyprus, which had not stopped its application, had not benefited from the funds given to applicant countries from Eastern and Central Europe.

She was also told that even had Malta been given funds from the ISPA fund, which were addressed for transport improvements and environmental protection, Malta would have only received some Lm1.7 million, according to the formula used for the other countries. She herself admitted that would have been little, compared to Malta`s environmental needs.

The Labour MPs observed that while Ms Jackson told the media that bird hunting should not be an obstacle for Malta`s accession and sustainable hunting was possible in terms of the EU Bird Directive, in her meeting with the MLP she said Malta could not be granted the derogations it was requesting before membership and EU rules had to be applied by all member states.

Dr Vella and Mr Mizzi said they would have expected the Malta-EU Information Centre to correct Ms Jackson`s remarks.