By joining the EU, Malta would complete the circle of colonialism by taking part in decisions with those countries which formerly were colonisers, Nationalist MP Michael Frendo said yesterday. The European Union would keep developing irrespective of whether Malta joined it or not.

But if Malta stayed out of the EU, where would it be in five to 10 years time, he asked. Dr Frendo who represents the government side at the Convention for the Future of Europe said that the people`s choice had to be made in a referendum.

Speaking during a discussion meeting organised by Iva, Yes for Europe movement, at the Halland Hotel at Ta l-Ibrag, Dr Frendo said that by joining the EU, members of the society would be widening their personal space.

The panel chaired by Professor Kenneth Wain included Jimmy Magro, general secretary of the Malta Labour Party, David Casa from the Iva movement and Joe Zrinzo from the Campaign for National Independence.

"Going into the EU is no guarantee of success and the Maltese would not `die of hunger` if they stayed out of the EU, but by joining, Malta would be able to develop at a much faster rate than if it stayed out of the EU," Dr Frendo said.

EU membership would enable Malta to gain access to the markets in North Africa on a much wider scale than it has had to date.

Mr Magro wore a T-shirt sporting the legend Svizzera fil-Mediterran (Switzerland in the Mediterranean), the option Labour was promoting as an alternative to EU membership until some time ago. He said the Government was paying funds to the EU for students to be able to participate in EU education projects.

Answering a question from a parent who said that sending her two children to study in Europe had cost her an arm and a leg because Malta was not an EU member, Mr Magro said that the Labour Party had to evaluate feedback from all sectors of society and not just from students.

Answering another question, Mr Magro said that Labour`s alternative position to EU membership was not so well known because the media generally gave Labour short shrift.

"If one were to see media reports about this meeting, one would find that the Labour option would get 20 per cent coverage and EU membership 80 per cent," he said. Mr Magro distributed photocopies of two articles: one appearing in The Sunday Times of August 16, 1998, the substance of which was that Malta would have got Lm100 million had it not frozen its EU membership application.

The second article by Anthony Coughlan, senior lecturer emeritus in social policy at Trinity College, Dublin, featured in last Thursday`s The Times. Mr Coughlan claimed that neither Ireland`s slump in the 1980s nor the boom in the 1990s had much directly to do with the EU.

Mr Casa, replying to a comment by Mr Zrinzo, said it was not correct to say that those who were promoting EU membership had an eye on a post in Brussels. As a matter of fact, one of the CNI members has taken up a one-year assignment at the European Parliament. The Iva Movement wanted everyone to have access to these opportunities.

Mr Zrinzo said that if the government directed the funds that it was spending to bring Malta`s laws in line with those of the EU towards education instead, then more students would be able to study abroad.

He said that the government had a report, which indicated that one result of EU membership on Malta would be an 18 per cent to 20 per cent unemployment in the tourism industry.