MEPs forming part of the Socialist & Democrat grouping in the European Parliament will be meeting in Malta next week.
The S&D group will be holding its group meeting - United for a more social Europe, workshops and fact-finding missions in Malta between September 27 and 30, as well as a citizens’ event in the context of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
The S&D is the European Parliament's second-largest political grouping, with 146 MEPs. Locally, the Labour Party's MEPs form part of it.
It said the goal of its Malta meeting is to give a new impetus to parliamentary work after the difficult circumstances imposed by COVID-19.
S&D MEPs will meet to advance the agenda on crucial challenges including economic recovery and resilience, the digital transformation, a sustainable future as proposed by the Fit for 55 package, and relaunching the EU partnership with the southern neighbourhood and the Mediterranean.
S&Ds said they will continue to support the Maltese government’s agenda of reforms and engage with the Maltese to hear about their hopes and aspirations.
The meeting in Malta will provide an opportunity for the group to witness the social and judicial reforms the government has undertaken, it said.
Group president Iratxe García Pérez said the European Union must strengthen its solidarity which has been undermined over the last years with neoliberal and nationalistic messages.
“We are going to Malta to reinvigorate our vision for a progressive and sustainable Europe; where big and small countries can act together in solidarity; where we fight inequalities and ensure a better future to all citizens, regardless of their age or whether they live in cities or in rural areas.”
A fair society, she said, cannot fully develop without equality and there is still a long way to go to achieve gender equality in the EU.
García Pérez said the group wanted a union that could live up to its principles when it came to migrants and refugees.
“As we witness the humanitarian drama of Afghanistan, it becomes even more evident that we need a proper and coherent legal framework, including a mandatory mechanism for relocation.
“This does not only concern Afghanistan, we reiterate the need to stop the constant tragedy occurring in the Mediterranean and put in place an EU migration policy in respect of human dignity and based on solidarity between member states.”
She also said that all politics are related, and unless global warming was tackled to develop a strong and united European foreign policy and promote sustainable development at a global level, “we will be seeing more and more economic and climate migrants in the next years”.
Group coordinator of the Maltese delegation Alex Agius Saliba said Malta was honoured to host the group for such an important meeting and various exchanges of views.
“For us, it is very symbolic that after so many years, the first external S&D Group meeting outside of Brussels will be held in Malta.
He said Malta is central for Europe to continue pushing for a European policy for migration and asylum based on solidarity, shared responsibility, and a fair and just permanent mechanism for the relocation of migrants and refugees.
Therefore, the group will reinvigorate the call for more solidarity and justice in the face of the human tragedy being witnessed, not only in the Mediterranean but through many European borders.