Author: SME Chamber

The European Commission is preparing to retreat on some
elements of reform of state subsidies for renewable energy. The Commission has published a draft version of
guidelines that have set out what kinds of subsidies member states are allowed
to offer their renewable energy industries without falling foul of European
Union rules on state aid.

Those guidelines are supposed to reduce distortions
to the internal market, which have, for example, seen traditional energy
companies in neighbouring countries complain about subsidies in Germany that
prompted excessive production.

The guidelines call for greater co-ordination to take
into account the effects of such policy changes on neighbouring countries.

The Commission put forward an initial draft for public
consultation back in December, but significant changes have since been made to
a version that emerged last week from inter-departmental discussions.

The initial draft required states to have a bidding
process for public subsidies, so that generators of renewable energy would
compete against each other.

Technologies

Whereas the Commission had initially sought to
distinguish between renewable energy technologies that are still in development
and those that are already mature, this distinction has not survived in the
revised draft. The initial thinking was that governments should not be
subsidising technologies that no longer needed assistance in order to compete
against hydrocarbons or nuclear energy. Without a distinction, there is a risk
that more mature technologies will be over-compensated and shut out emerging
technologies from the market. However, lobbyists from the renewable energy
sector claimed that unless the Commission adopted a technology-neutral approach
that treated all renewable the same, regardless of maturity, then rival
renewable energy technologies might harm each other.

The latest draft maintains the Commission's intention
to mandate bidding processes for most subsidies, but introduces a series of
exceptions that member states could use to avoid this requirement. Germany,
which is adamantly opposed to mandatory bidding, has been lobbying against the
proposal, with France, Italy and the UK also opposed.

The revised draft would also delay the start of
restrictions on subsidies, introducing a transitional phase from 2015 to 2017,
when only 5% of renewable energy capacity would require bidding. Wind farms
that generate less than 6 megawatts would not be subject to bidding. The
guidelines are supposed to take effect from July.

Government support for renewable energy is estimated
to have cost the EU more than €30 billion in 2010. The Commission wants to
reduce this by replacing feed-in tariffs with tradeable green certificates.

This year's
EuroCommerce General Assembly was held in Rome at the ConfCommercio head
quarters and GRTU president Paul Abela attended. The meeting was presided by
EuroCommerce President Lady Neville-Rolfe and Director General Christian
Verschueren.

The General
Assembly concluded that the next five years will be decisive to regain a
situation of growth and employment in Europe. In this regard commerce can
provide an   important contribution but
this only if the right political and economic conditions are created.

Despite
the crisis and the drop in consumption that have affected many countries it
remains a solid fact that the digital age is going through major
transformations. In Europe, one in four businesses pertain to this sector,
which is worth 11% of European value added and employs nearly 30 million
people. There are, however, still obstacles and difficulties which hamper its
development, such as the lack of effective implementation of the single market
for goods and services and the lack of flexibility of the labor market in some
EU countries.

EuroCommerce
has identified a number of proposals for the next five years mainly targeted at
the digital sector that support use of new technologies by entrepreneurs and
consumer in retail.

Is-Segretarjat Parlamentari
għall-Biedja, Sajd u Drittijiet tal-annimali ippublika l-abbozz tal-avviż legali fil-gazzetta tal-Gvern
li jkopri l-industrija tal-prodotti tal-ħalib. Fil-preżent fil-liġi ta' Malta hemm
regolamenti li jkopru l-ħalib iżda ma hemmx regolamenti fuq il-prodotti magħmulha mill-ħalib.

Hemm regolamenti Ewropej dwar
il-produzjoni ta' proddotti tal-ħalib li, li kieku kelna napplikawhom għal
Malta, kien ikollna inwaqqfu il-produzzjoni kollha tal-ġbejniet tradizzjonali.

Għaldaqstant biex ninkorporaw fil-liġi Maltija
ir-regolamenti li jħarsu il-produzzjoni ta' prodotti tal-ħalib kif ukoll
prodotti tradizzjonali u norbtu dan kollu
biex ikun konformi mar-regolamenti Ewropej,
is-Segretarjat ifforma dan l-abbozz. 

Malta b'dan l-abbozz qiegħda taddotta derogi lokali biex il-produzzjoni tal-ġbejniet tradizzjonali tibqa' ssir sakemm dawn 
ikunu prodotti taħt sistema ta' prodott ta' origini ikkontrollata. Dan ifisser
li dan il-prodott tradizzjonali ser jakkwista garanzija ta kif jiġi maħdum, maħżun u mibjugħ. Dan l-abbozz:

huwa
marbut mal-fatt li s-settur permezz tax-xirka tal-produtturi tan-nagħaġ
u l-mogħoż, iridu japplikaw biex il-produzzjoni tal-ġbejniet tiġi
mgħarfa mill-awtoritajiet Ewropej u l-ġbejna tiġi rreġistrata bħala
prodott
b'ċertifikazzjoni DOP (Denominazioni di
Origini Protetta).

ifisser li prodotti oħra li
mhumhiex maħduma bħalma għanda tinħadem il-ġbejna tradizzjonali u li
jużaw ukoll ħalib li mhux tan-nagħaġ għall-produzzjoni tal-ġbejna, iridu
jiġu mgħajta b'isem ieħor fis-suq.

ser isaħħaħ u
jżid ukoll il-garanziji għall-konsumatur li l-prodotti tal-ħalib kollha
prodotti f'Malta jridu jittestjaw il-ħalib ta' kull speċi u ta' kull
oriġini darbtejn fix-xahar minbarra t-testijiet li jsiru fuq l-annimali
kollha irreġistrati fl-irziezet.

The Single Euro
Payments Area (SEPA) migration end-date Regulation (No 260/2012) had
established 1 February 2014 as the date when national credit transfer and
direct debit schemes in the Euro Area had to cease operation and be replaced by
the new SEPA Credit Transfers (SCTs) and SEPA Direct Debits (SDDs) schemes.

Due to
the low SEPA migration pace for SCTs and SDDs registered in a number of EU
countries till the end of 2013, the European Parliament, the European
Commission and the Council of Ministers decided, in February 2014, to extend
the migration period by another six months, so as to ensure full compliance and
minimise the potential risk of market disruptions.

In view
of this end-date extension, the Central Bank of Malta, as the appointed
competent authority for SEPA in terms of the Regulation, has decided, in close
collaboration with the Malta Bankers' Association, to extend, locally, the SEPA
migration end-date for SCTs by three months until 1 May 2014 and by six months
for SDDs until 1 August 2014. These extended periods are being granted in view
of the on-going progress that is being registered, whereby national and
cross-border SCT migration increased from 42% compliance in December 2013 to
80% in February, while SDD migration increased from 46% compliance in December
2013 to 75% in February.

The
Central Bank of Malta and the Malta Bankers' Association urge payment service
users, such as corporates using payroll software for credit transfers and
service providers using direct debits, to maintain the momentum towards
achieving 100% SEPA compliance in the shortest time possible within the newly
established timeframes, after which national non-SEPA compliant direct credit
and direct debit transactions will no longer be accepted for processing by
payment service providers.

GRTU was very
pleased to learn yesterday that MEPs through their vote have supported to cap
the costs of all credit and debit cards at reasonable levels across Europe and
at the same time allowing member states to set even lower caps. This is a
crucial step towards savings for retailers and better prices for consumers
across Europe.

The
European Parliament adopted today the ECON committee reports on the
multilateral interchange fee (MIF) Regulation and the Payment Services
Directive (PSD II). GRTU has been fighting the battle against excessive card
fees for a long time, also under the guidance of EuroCommerce, the voice for
six million retail, wholesale, and other trading companies in Europe.
Yesterday's vote is a great result and we are especially pleased at the
Parliament's inclusion of commercial cards in the caps, the earlier
implementation date at domestic level and the removal of the ‘honour all cards
rule'.

The
legislation will now go to the European Council and will also have to be
ratified at second reading in the new EP after the May elections. The retail
sector very much hopes that the versionof the text voted today in Plenary will
be maintained. We call on the Council, and in particular the upcoming Italian
Presidency, to take up the dossier as a matter of urgency. The reforms in this
regulation, together with the PSD II are essential for the future development
and competitiveness of the payments sector in Europe.

This is
the first step and there is still a long way to go, but it is an important
step. We trust yesterday's vote will send a strong message to the member states
in Council and to all returning and new MEPs in the next Parliament that Europe
needs forward-looking legislation which will encourage competition and innovation,
bringing great benefits to Europe's merchants and consumers.

GRTU has
written to all the Maltese MEPs this week asking them to support our position
and following the vote we once again wrote to them thanking those that have
voted in the interest of Maltese retailers and consumers. 

During
the same Plenary session the Parliament also voted in favour of reducing
roaming charges which we feel is another very positive vote in favour of both
does travelling on business and on leisure.

As part of its ongoing efforts to make its negotiations with the US the
most open and transparent trade talks to date, EU Trade Commissioner Karel De
Gucht will today launch a public consultation on investor protection and
investor-to-state dispute settlement (ISDS) in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
(TTIP), in a response to the growing public debate and increased concerns over
ISDS within TTIP.

The aim of the consultation is to better define the
EU's approach to investor protection and ISDS in the proposed TTIP negotiation
by allowing all stakeholders an opportunity to provide their reflections. In
its consultation the Commission also explains how it wants to make ISDS in the
EU-US trade agreement more transparent and accountable than existing practice.

Further
information can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/unitedkingdom/press/frontpage/2014/14_28_en.htm

The European
Commission adopted a package of measures on 27 March that is designed to
stimulate new ways of financing Europe's long-term investment needs. Investment
needs for transport, energy and telecom infrastructure alone are estimated at
EUR 1 trillion for the period up to 2020.

On the 18^th of December
2013, the EU28's Permanent Representatives agreed to a compromise reached
between the European Parliament and the Council with regards an update of rules
concerning periodic roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles, roadside
inspections of commercial vehicles and vehicle registration documents.

The
scope of these increasingly harmonised rules is to enhance road safety, reduce
emissions caused by poorly maintained motor vehicles and ensure fair
competition for commercial vehicles. It is hoped that the Roadworthiness
Package will help in achieving the EU target of halving road mortalities by 50%
by the year 2020. The European Commission anticipates that these revisions will
save 1,200 lives annually and avoid at least 36,000 accidents a year linked to
technical failure.

The Roadworthiness Package
constitutes three separate factors: periodic roadworthiness tests, technical
roadside inspections of commercial vehicles and vehicle registration. The
current rules, stipulated under Directive 2009/40/EC, outline the minimum
requirements for the periodic roadworthiness tests of motor vehicles – in Malta
these would be Transport Malta's Vehicle Roadworthiness Test (VRT). Despite the
fact that this Directive applies to passenger cars, coaches, buses, trailers
and heavy goods vehicles, it does not apply to motorbikes and scooters.

The Roadworthiness Package proposes
that roadworthiness tests should also be extended to the group of road users
that are at the highest risk. These are the powered two or three wheelers –
mopeds and motorcycles – and light trailers that are under 3.5 tonnes.
Additionally, the proposal clarifies the limits of the scope of the exemptions
from testing Member States may grant to certain motor vehicles. This refers to,
for instance, agricultural vehicles that possess a speed of less than 40km/h
and are not used in intercommunity traffic. When it comes to the frequency of
vehicle testing, the two factors that are considered are age and yearly
mileage. Thus, older cars shall have more frequent tests, whilst high mileage
vehicles shall be subject to annual testing, as is already the case for
ambulances and taxis. The current frequency of periodic inspections for some
categories of vehicles is considered to be too low to ensure that they are
roadworthy.

The Roadworthiness Package proposal
increases the minimum standards for frequency of PTI (periodic technical
inspection) for three categories of vehicles, namely: cars would require a
first inspection after 4 years, then after 2 years, and subsequently require
annual testing (this is a change from the current 4-2-2 minimum standard to a
proposed 4-2-1 minimum standard); cars and light commercial vehicles that weigh
up to 3.5 tonnes that upon reaching the date of first inspection (after 4
years) have a mileage exceeding 160,000 km must be inspected annually after the
first test (a change from the existing 4-2-2 to a proposed 4-1-1). In Malta,
testing for scooters and motorcycles will be introduced with this package.

For commercial road-haulage tractors
with a maximum speed in excess of 40km/h, and commercial vehicles such as
trucks and buses of at least 3.5 tonnes (3,500 kg), on-the-spot roadside checks
shall be conducted in addition to periodic inspections. Thus, this refers to
M2, M3, N2, N3, O3, O4 and T5 vehicles. Light commercial vehicles, such as
pick-up trucks (N1 – below 3.5 tonnes) are notably not within the scope of this
directive. Therefore, Member States have the freedom of deciding whether or not
they wish to perform roadside checks on light commercial vehicles. Transport
Malta in its 2004 Subsidiary Legislation 65.19 on Motor Vehicles (Carriage of
Goods by Road) Regulations highlights the fact that it has already implemented
on-the-sport roadside checks for goods vehicles (minimum gross weight 3.5
tonnes) in accordance with Directive 2006/22/EC. During these checks authorised
inspecting officers shall make use of equipment that is capable of downloading
and analysing data from the vehicle unit and driver card of the digital
tachograph (a device fitted to a vehicle that automatically records its speed
and distance). Furthermore, Transport Malta is following the EU's insistence on
"risk profiling" that enable authorised inspectors to spot actions that conjure
up a higher risk of defects in order to check these undertakings more often
when considered appropriate. In fact, Subsidiary Legislation 65.19 states that
"the Authority shall introduce a risk rating system for undertakings for the
purposes of Article 9 of Directive 2006/22/EC".

Businesses must take note of the
introduction of these roadside checks due to their random nature and should use
them as an incentive to ensure that all company vehicles are roadworthy. It is
estimated that annually at least 5% of all registered vehicles in the EU will
undergo roadside inspections. Moreover, this package also deals with mileage
fraud, where proposals were made so that roadworthiness test results are stored
in national registers so as to identify mileage fraud more efficiently.

Europe's 400
million Internet users face a geographic lottery regarding the price, speed,
and range of choice of broadband, according to latest EU data release. Four
studies published show there is virtually no pattern or coherence in broadband
markets across the EU.