Why is the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment avoiding its responsibilities regarding the "special safeguards" promised to the agro-industry both before and after EU accession?
Not only are the promises not being honoured but, consistent with its usual arrogant policy, the ministry is simply failing to inform the interested parties of its actions, failing yet again in its national accountability.
The interested parties, the FOI, food processors, farmers/producers, the opposition, banks, co-operatives and others, should all be regularly informed on such an important matter.
The Maltese people will remember that EU Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler specifically confirmed the promises made by the PN government that "special safeguards" would help the agrifood industry cope with the financial strain of membership. He then emphasised that it was Malta's duty to prepare the system and the mechanism to monitor and operate such safeguards.
As these "special safeguards" have not yet been paid out we must ask what has the accident-prone ministry been doing.
a) Has an appropriate committee been established?
b) What is the qualification required for committee membership and who are the members?
c) How many committee meetings have been held and where?
d) Are monthly monitoring reports prepared to measure market distortion?
e) Have such reports established market distortion arising from EU membership for each product, say, poultry, milk, vegetables etc.?
f) To whom are these monitoring reports delivered?
If all this work has been carried out as promised to the agrifood industry and to Mr Fischler, why haven't the "special safeguards" been paid out to the claimant industry sectors. Why haven't all the parties involved been supplied with copies of the reports? If the promised work has not been completed, what have the high ranking ministry employees and ministers been doing as they journey backwards and forwards to Brussels, at the cost of the taxpayers? Where are the mechanisms required by Mr Fischler and what has been done to confer with the interested parties?
Has the new commissioner been enlightened as to her responsibilities?
What parameters were accepted during the discussions in Brussels as it is now over two years since accession and still the agrifood industry is working in the dark and many are suffering huge financial strain?
The "special safeguards", so solemnly promised, are a vital element in preserving the Maltese food production. Malta is especially vulnerable in that it already imports at least 75 per cent but if the established food producers are driven to bankruptcy by this PN government's incompetence the situation can only become critical.
Does the ministry realise that its lack of common sense, lack of clear policy, arrogance, lack of accountability and the way in which it neglects its responsibilities create nothing but doubt and uncertainty? Thus, the ministry creates an atmosphere which demoralises and undermines the hard-working families in the agro-industry, which is the backbone of every civilisation.