Author: SME Chamber

The Commission organised the debate
to start the reflection with stakeholders and member states on the ongoing
ideas based on the Animal Welfare strategy 2012-2015. The meeting was organised
in 4 subsequent sessions, however no conclusions were presented.  These sessions included:

1.  Using
animal welfare indicators for compliance with EU law

Currently there are many qualitative
requirements in farming directives and lack of uniform application. There are
also few (but very prescriptive) quantitative requirements with much focus on
space but no effect on management. The welfare indicators should improve
uniform application for qualitative requirements and introduce flexibility for
some quantitative requirements. They should increase sense of ownership among
operators.

The commission favors developing a
general framework with indicators (as opposed to species specific model). It is
still open if the indicators should be verified as "stand alone controls" or as
part of a farm management system. The administrative burden, legal security,
and costs are important to be considered.

The commission referred to the HACCP
model as good example for a AW management analysis (risk analysis, follow up of
the relevant parameters, corrective actions, transparency of the data, regular
review of the management system with regards to the actual risks).  

2.  Providing
better information to consumers

Farmers not always rewarded despite
existence of private schemes with +/- animal welfare parameters. There is no
independent information to consumers and businesses to validate the AW schemes.

The AW strategy aims to provide
better information to consumers thereby ensuring farmers better value and
visibility for their work on animal welfare. The Commission indicated favoring
a EU database for consumers/business operators with information on animal
welfare legislation and schemes.  

3.   Which
role for an animal welfare European Network?

The insufficient awareness coupled
with research not being adequately disseminated among operators leads to
limited know-how. This negatively affects competitiveness and innovation of
farmers and business operators

The network aims to reinforce links
between fundamental and applied research, educational resources and
stakeholders, and improve level of awareness and know-how among stakeholders.

The scope and interaction of the
European network with other EU agencies needs to be clarified. A pilot project
(EUWellNet) will run from for 12 months from 1st Jan 2013.  

4.   Improving
competence among personnel

Insufficient awareness of personnel
and business operators involved. This limited know-how negatively affects
competitiveness and innovation of business operators EU legislation (pigs,
broilers, transport and killing) requires explicit competence.

The options considered by the
European Commission are funding education and information (through a network)
and/or establishing minimum requirements for competence.

A
new report has called for a radical shake up in alcohol advertising to combat a
'rising' number of underage drinkers. The
report, questions the effectiveness of "focusing" on "negative"
messages in prevention programmes. It suggests a better approach is to
concentrate on "positive" messages such as emphasising that it can be
"cool and healthy" to be a non-alcohol drinker.

The
report, conducted by Alcohol-use Among Adolescents in Europe, contains the
findings of a survey of 70,000 teenagers aged 12 to 15. It found that it is
"quite common" for children in this age group to have consumed
alcohol although "clear differences" were found between member
states.

Some
60.4 per cent of those quizzed had consumed beer and wine  at least once in their lifetime and 34.2 had
consumed spirits. In the month before the survey was carried out, prevalence
rates were nearly half of this: 28.1 per cent and 13.5 per cent respectively.

The
highest 'lifetime' prevalence rates of alcohol use were among eastern European
countries, led by Estonia, with 85.7 per cent, followed by Hungary at 84.7 per
cent and the Czech Republic at 84.2 per cent. The lowest rates were in Iceland,
21.6 per cent, and Bosnia and Herzegovina at 30.9 per cent. The country of
residence is a factor in determining drinking behaviour, it said. "For
instance, in countries with a strict policy towards alcohol such as Nordic
countries, we found that the percentage of abstainers is higher compared with
other regions."

The
report says that consumption of alcohol among young people in Europe has risen
during the past few years. Several studies indicate that one quarter to one
third of all adolescents drink alcohol. Not only the number of young people
drinking alcohol is growing; problematic drinking, drunkenness and binge
drinking are issues of growing importance.

During
the three year project, a team of researchers studied the use of alcohol among
European adolescents and identified and analysed risk factors that influence
alcohol use in adolescents.

The
team compared risk factors with different possible effective strategies for the
prevention of alcohol abuse among adolescents that had been implemented in
different European countries.

They
analysed existing environmental strategies at different governance levels.

Addressing
a conference in Brussels to discuss the report, Hans Berten said it was
important to involve youngsters themselves in helping to combat alcohol abuse.
He said it is better to "allow students to take on an active role in
prevention instead of being passive recipients".

The
report goes on, "By focusing on positive messages instead of negative
ones, such as saying 'drinking can kill you', investments in prevention
programmes will have stronger and longer lasting effects."It also calls
for "accurate" information campaigns in order to dispel
"misconceptions" about alcohol and drugs

The Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee (MEUSAC) together
with the Ministry for Finance, Economy and Investment (MFEI) will be organising
a consultation session on ‘The cross-border transfers of registered offices of
companies'.  

This consultation will mainly focus on retrieving more
in-depth information on the costs currently faced by companies transferring
their registered offices abroad and on the range of benefits that could be
brought by EU action on such cross-border transfer.

The consultation session will be held on Thursday, February
28, 2013 at 2 p.m. at Europe House, 254, St Paul's Street,

 Valletta.

Proceedings will be held in Maltese.

European press reports that fisheries
ministers have agreed to an EU-wide ban on fish discards, starting in January
2014. BBC News says that the ban on the
controversial practice of dumping unwanted fish was agreed following an all
night meeting in Brussels. Although ministers agreed some exemptions, it
remains to be seen whether the European parliament will accept them, the broadcaster
says.

The Irish Independent, which
described the ban as a landmark agreement, said that the biggest opposition to
the fisheries reforms came from France, Portugal and Spain.

According to the Irish Times, Irish
fisheries minister Simon Coveney, who chaired the all night meeting, said that
the negotiations were "difficult".

However, he added that member states
shared the collective view that there should be an "obligation to
land" all caught fish, the paper says.

The Guardian reports that Socialist MEP
Ulrike Rodust said, "EU fisheries ministers should remember that a wide
majority has voted for a discard ban without any exemptions. "I think it
will be difficult to accept a text which would allow throwing back certain
species of unwanted fish overboard without any limitations at all."

A solution to abolishing the state imposed lease termination – GRTU, this week held a Press Conference
to discuss the current situation regarding Rent Law of commercial tenants.
Members that are suffering from this current situations were invited  to voice their opinion.

GRTU states that the Rent Law as they
are, are unjust for commercial tenants. The last Parliament has not given due
consideration to the pleas of commercial tenants made by GRTU on their behalf.
The Rent Laws  have completely disregarded the
investment made by thousands of small enterprises who over many years have
provided service to the community, generated employment and economic growth and
were successful without any state aid whatsoever.

The GRTU now recommends that the new
Administration  after the March 9th elections, appoints
an Independent Commercial Rent Law Review Commission Chaired by a retired Judge
or Magistrate with one member of the Commission nominated by GRTU representing
commercial tenants. This Commission will establish what negative impacts exist
for commercial tenants and make recommendations to Government to mitigate the
identified negative impacts. The new Administration will appoint the Commission
within one month of the formation of the new Cabinet of Ministers and the
Review Commission will submit its Report within two months of appointment.
Government will implement the proposed amendments and solutions with three
months of the Commission's Report.

The amendments to the Civil Code
introduced in 2009 included provisions that shocked the commercial community.
Commercial premises leased prior to 1995 and which fell foul to a few other
conditions, were arbitrarily short lived by the legislator when an imposition
came in vigore that constituted an ultimatum of 20 years for leased properties
and of 10 years for sublet properties.

Lease of
Commercial Properties: Article 1531I

A lease of commercial premises made
before the 1st June, 1995 shall in any case terminate within twenty years which
start running from the 1st June, 2008 unless a contract of lease has been made
stipulating a specific period. A contract made prior to the 1st June, 1995 and
which is to be renewed automatically or at the sole discretion of the tenant,
shall be deemed as if it is not a contract made for a specific period and shall
as such terminate within twenty years which start running from the 1st June,
2008. 

Sublease of
Commercial Properties: Article 1613

In the case of the sub-letting of
commercial tenements before the 1st June,1995, these shall be terminated on the
31st May, 2018 unless done by agreement with the less or, in which case such
sublettings shall be regulated by such agreement: Provided further that the
lease shall be established according to that laid down in article1513D.

Almost 4 years after the introduction
of this draconian measure – that is threatening the very existence of a
substantial percentage of the Maltese small to medium enterprises – Government
refuses to take any action to rectify this discriminatory measure that curtails
business' civil rights of enjoyment of property, as provided in our
Constitution and which are regulated by the Civil Code.

Government's raison d'être behind the
introduction of these deadlines was the creation of equity, an equilibrium that
Government argued was required between safeguarding the landlord's rights
without prejudicing the commercial tenant's rights.

The GRTU from the very outset was at
loggerheads with Government on this issue, claiming that this was not a balance
at all but a blatant injustice against Maltese businesses. The GRTU repeatedly
described those enterprises caught out by these unjust ultimatums as melting
blocks of ice.

Nonetheless the amendments to the Civil
Code that are collectively referred to as the Rent Laws, contain a remedy that
the State has not yet chosen to implement and which would constitute an
equitable solution in lieu of these discriminatory ultimatums. Article 1531D
(2) of the Civil Code provides for the introduction of a Property Market Value
Index. This Index, when introduced, would provide both Tenants and Landlords
with a formula to obtaining a fair rent figure, thus bringing both sides closer
to the payment of a fair rent, which is the main criteria for Government's
introduction of the aforesaid ultimatums.

Article 1531D
(2)

The rent as from the first payment of
rent due after the 1st January 2014, is to be established by agreement between
the parties. In the event that such agreement is not reached, the Property
Market Value Index shall be considered as a guide to the rent as may be
established by regulations made by the Minister responsible for accommodation
and in the absence of such regulations, the rent shall from the first payment
of rent due after the 1st January, 2014, increase by five per cent per year
until the coming into force of the said regulations.

The GRTU opines that the introduction
of the Property Market Value Index, together with the introduction of
provisions relating to sensitive enterprises such as cottage industry establishments
situated in village cores, as have been adopted by other Member States in order
to protect their cultural and traditional heritage, would constitute a fair
remedy of safeguarding Landlords whilst safeguarding and not prejudicing
Tenants.

France for instance introduced a
ten-year moratorium precluding lease termination by Landlords for micro and
small enterprises situated in leased commercial premises.

Moreover in addition to the Rent
Regulation Board, the GRTU proposes the introduction of a Commercial Rent
Committee that will have a pre-trial mediatory role in establishing the
divergences.

Green MT and GRTU Director General in
his capacity as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company of Green MT,
managing a not-for-profit scheme, a national Waste Management Scheme covering
75,000 households with the responsibility for the management of 50% of Malta's
Packaging Waste national obligations, is
proceeding with additional legal action for libel and damages against
L-Orizzont, the National daily newspaper owned by the General Workers Union.

L-Orizzont in its issue of Friday the
28th of February 2013 published in its front page defamatory accusations of
illegal activities against the Director General of GRTU Vince Farriugia,
accusations which are solely aimed at taking away and injuring the reputation
of the Director General, GRTU and Green MT.

Green MT and GRTU, by virtue of reputable,
independent and external auditors, abide by all their obligations at law that
the Malta Financial and Services Authority as well as the Inland Revenue,
together with other authorities, including MEPA, impose on Waste Management
Providers.

In the same article L-Orizzont once
more dishes out the fallacious allegation made by convicted ex-Sliema Mayor
Nikki Dimech that Green MT Ltd received favourable treatment from the Sliema
Local Council. This is a fabrication also aimed at injuring the reputation of  Green
MT, and which is also subject to
legal proceedings for libel.

The public
is now aware that both L-Orizzont and the GWU have over the past two years
embarked on a never-ending besmirching campaign against the GRTU, Green MT and
its officials AND Vince Farrugia personally. This vindictive and defamatory
campaign is clearly and solely aimed at cheaply and conniving enticing small
businesses to leave GRTU and join GWU.

Voting is an obligation that serious citizens cannot and
should not avoid. For business enterprises election of Government's is a must.
Electing a government that administers the country for the next five years is
too important an issue for owners of enterprises simply to ignore. The total
business and economic environment in which businesses operate is dictated by
politicians in Government. The choice of policies and administrative efficiency
is theirs.

Once again in a never-ending series of accusations aimed
at the character assassination of GRTU Director General Vince Farrugia, the
Defence Counsel in the Police vs Sandro Chetcuti case that is still proceeding
in Court, have produced a number of witnesses in an attempt to besmirch GRTU
and its Director General by implying that GRTU Officials acted unethically and
that the Director General acts in an intimidatory way.

The witnesses produced by Sandro Chetcuti are still to
be cross examined by the Prosecution regarding the claims made and the
assertions implied against the Director General.

The Director General will take all necessary action in
relation to the erroneous and misleading assertions made, possibly constituting
perjury, especially regarding the meetings referred to by Perit Michael Falzon
that could not have possibly been held as stated by Mr Falzon.

The GRTU Executive Council insists on clarifying the
misleading impression given by its former Officers Mr. Mark Saliba and Mr. Joe
Tabone of any wrongdoing in the management of the GRTU's Financial management.

GRTU, though not obliged at law, engages independent
reputable professional auditing firms to be responsible for all account
management, internal audit and external audit. All book keeping procedures are
practiced as approved by the auditors and standard corporate financial
practices are adhered to.

The issues mentioned by Mr. Mark Saliba and Mr. Joe
Tabone have been relentlessly explained and categorically denied publicly. The
GRTU Executive Council fully comprehends the motives behind the re-emergence of
these false assertions by individuals who have been voted out of the GRTU's
Executive Council by a majority of members in a free election.

Mr. Mark Saliba in his testimony referred to payments not
correctly accounted for and a bank account that had not been properly opened.

These insinuations were raised by Mr. Saliba at
Executive Council level and GRTU auditors and bankers had satisfactorily
explained to Mr. Saliba that what he stated was wrong and that the bank account
he referred to was not a GRTU account but an account opened on behalf of members
on the basis of a specific agreement with Government Authorities. Mr. Saliba
had confirmed to the Executive Council that he was satisfied with the explanations
given.

Mr. Tabone raised the issue of payments due to GRTU and
other constituted bodies that had assigned their rights to hold Trade Fairs to
the Malta Trade Fair Corporation. These funds were distributed to the Trade
Fair sponsoring bodies once the Trade Fair Corporation decided not to exercise
any longer the exclusive facility the sponsoring bodies had freely awarded to
the Trade Fair Corporation. Contrary to what Mr. Tabone has stated in Court,
the moneys GRTU has received are duly accounted for in GRTU bank accounts as
certified by the independent and public auditors and as confirmed to Mr. Tabone
by GRTU bankers. Mr. Tabone has been briefed fully on his claims by the
auditors and again the GRTU Executive Council is satisfied that Mr. Tabone had
accepted the verified explanation then given.

Other fallacious allegations and insinuations made by Mr
Tabone, Mr. Saliba and Perit Michael Falzon will be rebutted in Court by virtue
of witnesses and documented evidence, as being false and fabricated for their
ulterior motives.

An
international communication campaign is currently highlighting the diverse
cultural heritage and natural beauty that Europe has to offer at any time of
the year. The ‘Europe – Whenever you're ready' campaign, which will run from
the end of 2012 until December 2013, reminds tourists to discover the old
continent and enjoy the travel experience of a lifetime.

Thematic
packages and itineraries covering all four corners of the EU will be offered.
These include pan-EU and regional tours on religious, cultural heritage and
gastronomic themes – such as wine and olive oil routes – as well as tailored
packages incorporating historic and natural UNESCO sites. And it is easy to
travel to Europe with its single currency, open borders, well-designed infrastructure
and passenger rights. Indeed, it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to discover
Europe's rich heritage and stunning beauty'.

With
contributions from well-known travel writers, journalists and bloggers, the
campaign aims to showcase the wide variety of unique opportunities that Europe
has to offer international tourists. Contributors' first-hand experiences,
spread through videos, blogs, magazines and websites, will unlock the not-to-be
missed sights as well as a number of ‘roads less travelled' throughout Europe.

Financed
by the European Commission, the ‘Europe – Whenever you're ready' campaign will
be organized in partnership with the European Travel Commission (ETC), the
umbrella organisation for national tourism boards in Europe. The campaign is designed
to add value to promotional activities of Member States and the European
tourism industry.

Key tourism figures

Tourism
has an important role in restoring economic growth in Europe. EU countries
account for more than 39% of global arrivals, making the EU the world's No. 1
tourist destination.

In
2011, the EU tourism industry recorded positive growth rates in most Member
States, compared with the same period in 2010. This trend is confirmed both by
the number of nights spent in hotels and similar accommodation, and by the net
occupancy rates of these establishments. Comparing the monthly figures for the
2011 summer season with the previous year, nearly 35 million more nights (+4.8
%) were spent in hotels and similar establishments in the European Union. The
highest increases were recorded in Bulgaria (+21.1%), Romania (+17.5%) and
Lithuania (+16.8%). The EU tourism industry generates more than 5% of EU GDP,
with about 1.8 million enterprises creating about 9.7 million jobs.