Author: SME Chamber

ATTN:  Operators in the Renewable Sector &
Beneficiaries of the ERDF Fund related to photovoltaic installations

A
meeting shall be on Monday 17th September – 13.00hrs at GRTU

Registration
is obligatory and can be done by email on or by calling 21232881

Members
are urged to attend this meeting. Non-members are also invited to attend
subject they either join GRTU or pay a €25 fee to attend the meeting.

In September, Neelie Kroes, the European commissioner for the
digital agenda, will publish her long-awaited strategy for cloud computing,
amid fears that Europe could already be falling behind as technology takes
another leap forward. Internet firms have been hailing cloud computing as
the next big thing for several years, promoting its cost-saving benefits for
customers as they try to win a share of the emerging business.

The stakes are high. Cloud computing could
revolutionise the way businesses work and could expand significantly the extent
to which the internet shapes people's lives. Cloud computing means that data –
such as email, text files, music and photographs – is not stored on a personal
computer or server owned by the individual or organisation, but is instead sent
to the ‘cloud' – or, more precisely, huge data centres owned by different
companies around the world.

The benefits are huge, both in terms of cost and
convenience. Firms – especially SMEs – would save money because they would be
outsourcing IT maintenance, and because the amount of ‘cloud space' they could
buy would be flexible; they could increase or cut the capacity of their data
storage as they needed it.

Convenience could be an even stronger attraction. No
longer will people have to be at the computer where a file is stored. They will
be able to gain access to data from anywhere there is an internet connection.
Files such as medical records and professional qualification certificates will
be available anywhere internationally, which could give new impetus to the EU's
single market. Cloud computing also challenges copyright legislation: listening
to music and watching films stored in the ‘cloud' at the touch of a button is
already commonplace.

However, the European Commission knows that it has to
proceed with caution. It wants to promote cloud computing because it realizes
the economic benefits, but it also realizes that the development raises important
questions about data protection and security. The prospect of huge amounts of
sensitive data being transferred to centres across the world could encounter
resistance. Winning public trust may be the biggest hurdle to overcome.

Crucial steps

Commissioner Kroes is aware that, faced with these
significant technological changes, the Commission needs to have a plan. She
told the European Internet Foundation in March that policymakers have to come
up with a coherent strategy for cloud computing to ensure that this crucial
step in internet use "happens not to Europe, but with Europe".

A swathe of new legislation should not be expected,
however. Kroes is a liberal by nature, and she has already warned of the
dangers of over-regulation in this area. She is likely to take heed of industry
warnings that too many obstacles placed in the way would threaten the EU's
ability to take advantage of these technological advances.

The strategy is not expected to propose any specific
legislation at this stage, but rather set out a plan of action for a legal
framework that promotes cloud-computing development. This includes the measures
needed to complement the data protection regulation proposed by the Commission
in January, and calls for the EU to explore agreements with countries such as
Japan and the United States over the treatment of data.

The strategy will also set out the action needed to
ensure inter-operability and standardisation of cloud services – to ensure that
users are able to choose to move their data away from one cloud service to
another without being locked in' to one company.

The headache for regulators is that data stored ‘in the
cloud' is often spread out across more than one data centre, often in different
countries. The Commission wants users to have the same level of protection no
matter where the data is kept. It will seek to develop ‘model contracts' for
cloud providers to give more legal certainty to users over how their data is
used. This is aimed at giving some assurance that, no matter where the data is
held, it will have the same level of protection as where the user is based –
and that cloud companies will be made accountable if there is a problem.

The risks were set out earlier this month when Europe's
national data protection supervisory authorities issued a report on the issue
of cloud computing. The ‘Article 29 Working Party', made up of the national
authorities, the Commission and Peter Hustinx, the EU's data protection
supervisor, acknowledged that "the rise of cloud computing services can trigger
a number of risks, such as the lack of control over personal data and
insufficient information regarding how, where and by whom data is being
processed".

In the report, published on 1 July, the group said: "By
submitting personal data to the systems managed by the cloud provider, cloud
clients may no longer be in exclusive control of this data."

There is a long way to go. Many details set out in the
cloud-computing strategy will raise questions about cross-border data security.
However, there is a growing belief that the cloud-computing tide cannot be held
back, and, as Kroes said, Europe has to move with it rather than be pushed
along by it.

At the plenary session of this week, the European Parliament
adopted in first reading the Energy Efficiency Directive with 632 votes in
favour, 25 against and 19 abstentions.

You can view the latest version of the directive in
the following link:

The next steps:

• The directive will enter into force 20 days after its publication in
  EU's Official Journal and member states will have 18 months to transpose it
  into their national laws, by Spring 2014.

• In April 2013,
  member states are due to present their national efficiency programmes. The
  European Commission will then evaluate them.

• If the
  Commission considers that the national energy saving plans are not enough to
  meet the 20% energy savings target, it will add to the directive more binding
  measures to reach the 20% target.

• The energy
  savings achieved will be calculated as of 2014.

• A review of the
  Directive will take place in 2016.

 

 

The challenges ahead lie now in the implementation of the
legislative text as the Directive leaves a lot of room for manoeuvre to the
Member States. The Commission will try to tighten the text of the Directive
through guidance notes in order to provide some clarity to the text's
ambiguities. UEAPME will provide its input to DG Energy as of this Autumn. 

www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A7-2012-265&language=EN

The online
consultation on the draft guide for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
on human rights (PDF) is now open. This draft guide has been produced in the
course of a European project "Capacity building for SMEs in the field of human
rights", financed by the European Commission. It is one of the priority actions
of the European Commission's strategy on corporate social responsibility for
2011-2014.

The aim of this guide is to
provide practical advice to SMEs on how to meet the expectations of the UN
Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

The Commission would welcome
any comments on this draft guide by 25 September. In particular, comments are
invited for the following questions:

 

 

 The draft guide
is accessible through:www.global-csr.com/fileadmin/Our_Approach/120823_Full_Guide_SMEs_Draft.pdf

Holds
activity within the Locality – Last week Green MT formally signed an agreement with Birgu
Local Council in respect to recovery of recyclables from the locality. The
event included the launch of Green MT single sang by Kristina Casolani and
accompanied by a group of youths. During the event Green MT presented rewards
to the youngsters who won a bin design competition. To close off the evening,
Kristina Casolani entertained those present to an acoustic performance together
with guitarist Dean.

As Rapporteur on behalf of the EESC GRTU's Director General
Vincent Farrugia had the privilege of presenting Opinions on a number of issues
related to obstacles faced by EU Citizens in their enjoyment of their European
Citizenship rights. These included Opinions on "Removal of Cross Border Tax
Obstacles"(ECO/295), "Removal of Double Taxation"(ECO/304) and another one on
problems of E-Procurement across-boarder(INT/554) and yet another on Budgetary
Surveillance within the context of current austerity programmes (ECO/285).

Lately he presented the Opinion on problems of
Inheritance Tax in EU member states (ECO/328). This Opinion highlights the
problem faced by a growing number of EU Citizens who own property across
boarder other than in their own country. This number increases by about a
million a year and will reach 14 million by 2013. The Opinion emphasizes the
importance of creating a more acceptable legislative framework so that EU
Citizens will not suffer unacceptable double taxation. The Opinion presses the
need of urgent reform and recommends action so that citizens are given their
due tax credit once an approved recommended system is applied across the EU.

The issue of European Citizens right to enjoy to the
full their Citizens rights is very important and Mr Farrugia considers it as
one of the prime tasks at EESC to work for a greater awareness of European
Citizens rights as fundamental to more EU Citizens appreciating why sacrifices
to create a better Europe are more than worthwhile. Too many obstacles however
remain and we need to work harder to identify and eradicate these obstacles.

As member of the Coordinating Group of the 2013
European Year of Citizens he is also recommending that 2013 should see the
formulation of a European Charter of Citizens Rights. The rights are there, but
they are written on too many documents. We should end 2013 with a written and
acceptable Charter of Rights. Vincent Farrugia is a strong believer that the
single market functions more effectively and EU Citizens become more aware of
their rights as EU Citizens if specific action is taken to remove all obstacles
hampering citizens from the enjoyment of their European Citizens Rights. Europe
is for citizens.

GRTU representative Joseph Attard has yesterday personally
presented a letter to the Prime Minister in Floriana just before he entered one
of the activities in relation to the Independence. In the letter GRTU requests the
personal intervention of the PM in respect to the current issue between the
lotto receivers, now members of GRTU, and Maltco Lotteries Ltd.

In the letter GRTU explained we had requested an
urgent meeting with the said company to discuss issues that are of cardinal
importance to both parties if one is to make sure that in the coming 10 years
there will be a situation in place which is to the benefit of both Maltco
Lotteries Ltd and the lotto receivers. GRTU has requested this urgent meeting
with Dr John Katakis, CEO of Maltco Lotteries, on a number of occasions but to
date this has not been forthcoming.

GRTU is informed that Dr John Katakis will be in Malta this
coming Monday and unless we are advised prior that a meeting would be held on
his arrival, we would then make sure that his arrival in Malta would be one
that he will remember always. GRTU emphasised to the PM that all foreign
investors to Malta are welcome as long as they do not unjustly threaten the
livelihood of SMEs by the stroke of a button from their offices.

GRTU told the PM that he should safeguard the interests of
the Maltese enterprises and as such he should ensure Maltco Lotteries meets
GRTU to discuss the urgent issues at hand.

GRTU is fed up of unkept promises and delaying tactics. It is
all a strategy. It is all planned. It is frustrating to those who do not know
what the end decision will be. We are sure Government and the relevant
Authorities are already aware of the Government's direction on this issue.

Gas Distributors remain in the dark. They do not have
a sense of direction. Government and its incompetence has brought this
situation to where it is today. GRTU and the gas distributors have gone miles
to assist Government in finding a solution on this matter, but solution are
hard to come by when Government promises the same to three different
stakeholders, two importers, namely Liquigas and Easygas and the same to the
distributors.

Of course it is no easy decision, imagine trying to
please three women at the same time! And this is and Government is now faced
with a dilemma. A dilemma that has no solution. The only solution for
Government is that they will leave it to linger and never decide and leave it
to the next Government to decide. This is the direction that Government has
been working on. No decision as decisions hurt and votes do ultimately count.

GRTU will no longer be taken for a ride. It will not
accept the silly excuses that Minister Pullicino comes up with day after day.
It will not accept more promises from the Government lead by Dr Gonzi. Not
months but years have passed and still no decision. This issue has taken longer
then the building on an Olympic Village outside London!

This does not happen because they cannot decide,
or because they do not know the position that will be taken, it's because they
know that if their decision is issued it would show how double faced they are.

There is one decision, Government has to decide whether it is
in favor of self employed who have been serving the island with Gas
Distribution for so many years, or whether it is in favor of capitalists taking
over the whole distribution system and sending all these distributors home on
the dole.

Once again GRTU is in favor of foreign investors who come to
Malta with a genuine approach. We are not interested in those who grab our
Ministers by the nose because they have monies inside their pockets. The
Maltese Business Community is not for sale, it never was and never will be, and
No Government will sell the business community in any sector. If this does,
GRTU will stand up to it and be counted.

The issue of the Gas distributors is one which has now gone
by its due date…long gone. Government has to remember that gas is a commodity
and unless distributed it will cause havoc in Malta and Gozo. Government
through its abusive actions since October 2008 has brought about this
situation. We have waited with patience and our patience is over…now it is time
for action!

Il-Kamra
Maltija tan-Negozji Zghar u Medji, GRTU tirringrazzja lil maggoranza
tar-Ricevituri tal-Lottu li llum iddecidew li ma jifthux il-banek tal-lottu
wara tilwima serja li ghaddejja mal-Maltco. Il-maggoranza assoluta tal-banek
madwar Malta u Ghawdex baqghu maghluqa.

L-Ezekuttiv
Nazzjonali tal-GRTU flimkien ma` l-Unjoni tar -Ricevituri tal-Lottu , matul
il-gurnata, hadmu flimkien biex jippruvaw isibu zblokk ghal din is-sitwazzjoni,
mahluqa biss minhabba ebbusija tar-ras minn naha tal-Maltco. Minkejja nterventi
min sorsi ufficjali, ma sar l-ebda zvilupp tangibbli fic -cirkostanzi.

Illum
il-GRTU u l-Unjoni tar-Ricevituri tal-Lottu urew lill Maltco li kapaci iqumu
kontra barrani li qed jipprova kuljum inaqrilhom l-ghixien.

Filwaqt
li l-GRTU flimkien mal-LRU iddecidew li ser jissospendu l-azzjoni in vigore b'mod immedjat min ghada
is-Sibt 8 ta' Settembru 2012, jirriservaw id dritt li jiehdu azzjonijiet ohra
biex jissalvagwardjaw l-interessi tar-ricevituri tal-lottu. IL-GRTU u LRU
javzaw lill membri taghhom biex joqoghdu attenti ghal kull direttiva li tista
tinghata minn hin ghal iehor..

IL-GRTU
tiehu din l-opportunita biex tirringrazzja lil dawk kollha li b'xi mod ppruvaw
jghinu fic -cirkostanzi u tkompli tiddeplora l-attitudni li qedgha tiehu l-Maltco
Lotteries Limited fejn jidhol il-qliegh tal-ghixien ta' kuljum ta' l-istess
ricevituri tal-lottu u id-dipendenti taghhom.