Union calls for openness on EU

The Union Haddiema Maghqudin has called on the government to set up the necessary structures in order to keep Maltese society regularly informed about developments in the European Union.

The UHM said it was particularly interested in the stand taken by the government over two EU directives presently before the European Parliament and the European Commission.

They are the working time directive and the directive on services in the internal market.

The two directives, the UHM added, directly affected all workers and therefore the government should put them on the national agenda.

The government should also inform before taking a stand and resort to serious consultation with the parties concerned before taking a decision.

The UHM said it believed Malta and the workers could progress if the government operated within structures that ensured that those involved would be given the opportunity of making their voice heard.

But, the UHM added, although 10 months had passed since Malta became an EU member, all the people were aware of was that a large building had been bought in Brussels. Nothing had been done to keep the Maltese and Gozitans informed about developments in the EU.

The union said that contrary to the situation before accession, when information on the EU was continuous, the government had now chosen to keep this information to itself. This attitude could be detrimental to businesses as well as to workers, the UHM said.

"Today the Maltese and Gozitan people are European citizens and therefore they are interested both in what is happening in our country and also in developments in EU institutions," it said.

Replying to the UHM's comments, the government said it was committed to involve all parties concerned in every proposal made by the European Commission. This would happen both through consultations and also by releasing all the necessary information on proposals being made.

It said consultations about the two directives mentioned had been ongoing for months.

The Competitiveness and Communication Ministry had published a consultation document on the internal market services directive on July 8, 2004. A national conference on the issue was held last October and a number of meetings were still being held in order to draw up Malta's stand on the directive.

The government's stand with regard to the works directive has been known since last October 5. The matter was also discussed by the House European and foreign affairs committee and also by the social affairs committee. In addition, the proposal itself and the Maltese government's stand were discussed by representatives of the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development and British government officials on two occasions. The Employment Relations Board also addressed the issue.

The government said that following such a wide debate, it has now finalised its stand on the proposal. This has been approved by the Cabinet and will be posted on Parliament's website in the coming days.

"In the circumstances the government fails to understand the UHM's declarations that the government is keeping information to itself. The UHM was represented in a substantial number of the consultative bodies and also had every opportunity to attend House committees' sittings. The government will remain open to any suggestions as to how this important consultation process can continue to be strengthened," the government said.