Maltese Presidency priorities discussed in European Parliament Committees

The priorities of the Maltese Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers are being outlined to parliamentary committees by Maltese ministers in a series of meetings taking place in January.

Page Content

Civil liberties, justice and home affairs: migration and terrorism at the forefront

On the 12th of January, Maltese Home Affairs and National Security Minister Carmelo Abela jointly with the Justice, Culture and Local Government Minister Owen Bonnici exclaimed to Civil Liberties MEPs that: “Tackling migration and fighting terrorism and radicilasation will be the Presidency’s first priority.”

The Presidency will strive to address the divergences among national governments in order to push for more solidarity and responsibility when dealing with migration flows. Mr Abela also stated that the deal between Turkey and the EU should be respected.

Several MEPs asked how to ensure that member states follow their obligations on refugees. Both ministers acknowledged that the Dublin System needs to be reformed and member states’ commitments respected. Concerning the “smart borders” legislation, the Presidency hopes to have a deal on the new entry/exit system by June 2017.

Legal Affairs: copyright, taxation and Family Law

The Maltese Presidency plans to reach an agreement in Council on contracts for digital content before the end of its term, in order to strike the right balance between free flow of information and the rights of the content creators (copyright), Justice, Culture and Local Government Minister Owen Bonnici and Economy, Investment and Small Business Minister Christian Cardona told Legal Affairs MEPs on the afternoon of 12 January.

MEPs asked about what the Presidency intends to do on the proposals on the so-called “country by country” reporting for multinational companies and the revision of the Brussels II regulation on family law. The Presidency will do their utmost to move all files on the table forward, the ministers assured.

15 other hearings coming up

15 other hearings involving 17 Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries are lined up from 23 January till 31 January. These hearings open the negotiation season for the Presidency with the Members of the European Parliament on several pending files, where the adoption of European legislation depends on common ground being found between the Council and the European Parliament.

Such pending files span several policy areas touching, virtually all the 20 European Parliament Committees; from the revision of the Dublin Regulation to internet sales regulation to a Directive on the representation of women in management positions. In all these areas, the Maltese Presidency is expected to advance, and in some cases, to conclude negotiations.

Video highlights of the LIBE Committee hearing with Ministers Abela and Bonnici: