Author: SME Chamber

Public
opinion about the EU has improved markedly, reveals a new Eurobarometer survey.
The poll was commissioned by parliament and published on Thursday. It
says a majority of respondents believe parliament is the institution that best
represents the EU and that voting in the European elections is the best way to
make their voice heard.

"The
findings are encouraging", said parliament's president Martin Schulz. The
current economic and financial crisis demonstrates that we need solutions at
supranational level.

"The
EU is a unique project worldwide with law-making powers that can offer such
solutions, where individual measures at individual state level would not
suffice", he said, adding, "Citizens recognise this."

The
poll says the image of the EU has improved in the eyes of a majority of
Europeans: 40 per cent have a favourable opinion of it, compared to 31 per cent
in November 2011.

An
absolute majority of people questioned said that membership of the EU is
"a good thing".

While
people are still divided on whether or not their voice counts in the EU, 57 per
cent of respondents said voting in the next parliament elections in 2014 is the
best way to make their voices heard, with a quarter of them already aware that
these elections will take place in two years time.

More
than one in two respondents (54 per cent) said they would be more inclined to
vote than they are today if each European political party were to put forward a
candidate for the post of president of the commission, who will be elected by
parliament after the 2014 European elections.

Job
creation and fighting unemployment scored as the top priority anti-crisis
measures for the EU, according to 72 per cent of those who took part in the
survey.

The
poll was conducted between 2 and 17 June, with 26,622 citizens interviewed in
the 27 EU countries.

The European Union's policy on biofuel
is coming under renewed pressure because of a severe drought in the United
States that is pushing up food prices. More than 60% of the continental United
States experienced moderate to exceptional drought this summer, making it the
worst drought in 50 years.

The drought is already being blamed for
a 6% rise in global food prices in July. Next Wednesday (12 September) the US
will publish its latest figures on how the drought has affected food prices,
amid fears of a repeat of the spike in food prices of early 2008.

The United Nation's Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) called on Tuesday (4 September) for the US government
to suspend its targets for the production of ethanol-based biofuel, made from
maize. Roughly 40% of US maize production is earmarked for bioethanol,
supported by government subsidies. The diversion of maize into fuel production
is held by critics of the policy to contribute to higher food prices. As well
as being an ingredient of food for humans, maize is an important element of
animal feed. Maize prices rose 23% in July compared to June, according to the
FAO.

The International Grains Council has forecast
that world production of maize will drop by 4% and that stocks will fall to a
six-year low.

UN support

Two other UN agencies – the
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food
Programme (WFP) – backed the FAO's call. "Adjusting biofuel mandates when
global markets come under pressure and food supplies are endangered has been
recommended by a group of international organisations," the agencies said.

But a cut in the US bioethanol target
would detrimentally affect farmers in maize-growing states in the American
midwest. Political analysts believe the US government will not make any move to
suspend the target in the run-up to the presidential and Congressional
elections, because Iowa is a crucial swing state. Ethanol subsidies enjoy
support in the US from both presidential candidates.

The French government called a special
meeting last week of the G20's Agricultural Market Information System to
discuss the situation. France wants to hold an emergency meeting of the G20's
Rapid Response Forum to deal with rising food prices.

The UN agencies' criticism of biofuel
targets has been taken up by food campaigners, and the food industry which has
long campaigned for the EU to abandon its target of 10% of all transport fuel
coming from renewable sources by 2020. Disagreement within the European
Commission has stalled an analysis of how biofuel affects food prices and land
use.

But the European Renewable Ethanol
Association (ePURE) hit back against the criticism, issuing a statement last
week saying that to make a link between bioethanol production and an increase
in global food prices amounted to "groundless accusations".

"Global grain use for biofuels is
miniscule and nowhere near enough to inflate prices significantly," said Rob
Vierhout, secretary-general of ePURE. "Europe has enough grain to produce both
its food and fuel needs. Blaming biofuels is the lazy option."

As part of the Calendar of Events
2012, Malta Enterprise is inviting interested parties to submit their
application to form part of the Trade and Investment Promotion Delegation to
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia between the 10 and 16 November 2012.

Eligible enterprises include:

Manufacturers, Service providers, Licensing and Franchising, Companies seeking joint ventures and strategic
alliances, Technology Transfer, Companies seeking R&D opportunities, Companies
seeking to import finished products are NOT eligible.

Malta Enterprise will endeavour to
organize match making meetings for participants through its institutional
networks. If interested contact Robert Falzon of Malta Enterprise at 25423239
or by 15^th
September 2012.

Lotto Offices, members of the Lotto
Receivers Union who have recently affiliated to the Malta Chamber of Small and
Medium Enterprises, GRTU, remained closed today after a dispute with Maltco.Maltco Lotteries Limited, a subsidiary
of Intralot Greece was awarded a 10-year concession and a licence to operate
the National Lottery of Malta. The award was granted following a competitive
tendering process.

After the award Maltco requested each
individual lotto operator to sign an individual Agency Agreement according to
their own terms and unless one signed the agreement by a fixed date, his /her
livelihood would have been switched off. In 2012 all POS terminals at the lotto
booths can be switched off from Maltco's Head Office in IKLIN.

Whilst this parameter already leaves
much to be desired, Maltco, immediately after the signing started requesting
individual lotto receivers to increase their guarantee and additionally
requested also the Lotto receivers Union to increase their collective guarantee
by a substantial amount too.

An operator who could not increase his
guarantee from Euro 10,000 to Euro 24, 000 as requested by Maltco had his Point
of Sale (POS) Terminal disconnected. GRTU requested an immediate meeting with
Maltco over the issue. Maltco outlined that they are only able to meet after
the 17^th of September 2012. GRTU has no problem with meeting after
the 17^th of September but cordially requested Maltco to reactivate
this member s POS until discussions are held.

No answer was forthcoming and GRTU
turned to Intralot in Greece for answers. Intralot cordially redirect us to
Maltco's closed doors. GRTU has been around since 1948 working hard to make
sure that self employed are given their dignity and that their conditions
continue to improve year after year. It has been quite a while since a Maltese
Company or an Authority or a Ministry or a foreign investor for all that
matters not to accept to sit around the table and discuss this now important
issue.

As outlined priorly, because Maltco,
CEO is a very busy man  we do not expect
overnight treatment, but if one is not able to meet one can surely ethically
accept to reactive the livelihood of an individual and then discuss this issue
at a later stage, when they have the time.

But this is probably not an issue of
guarantees, it is more an issue of might is right. What is also lacking in the
picture is the lack of initiative from Government's point in respect to the
livelihood of so many lotto receivers and their dependents. Maybe Government
has tied its hands in the way it can handle Maltco over the next ten years.
GRTU has no copy of the agreement reached between Government (through the
Privitisation Unit) and Maltco. We will of course be asking for this.

Friday 7^th September is
truly a sad day for Malta, a very sad day. Government's intervention was not
enough to bring two parties to a table. It is ironic that a few months back
Malta grasping the value of solidarity forked out millions to Greece and now we
have Greek citizens employed with a Greek Multinational who with the touch of a
button are able to switch off the livelihood of self employed Maltese in the
gaming sector.

They have done so a month ago,
enforcing each and every lotto receiver to sign an agreement with no
discussions.

GRTU asks.  Are we back to the 60's and 70's. Are we back
to the colonial times? Have we lost our identity? Who is in the driving seat?

Whilst we are totally in favor of decent foreign investment,
we are not in favor of Government selling our blood to foreigners at any cost.
After all we are human!

The European Commission has designated
2013 as the European Year of Citizens. The legal basis of the Commission's
proposal is article 21 (2) of the Treaty which states that "every citizen of
the Union shall have the right to move freely within the territory of the
member states, subject to the limitations and conditions laid down …"

At an EESC meeting of the Coordination
Group: European Year for Citizens, GRTU's Director General and EESC Employers`
representative, Vincent Farrugia stated that he supports the Commission's
intention to base the year on the first right of the European citizen to move
freely within the territory of the Union. "The focus of the European year of
the citizen should not only be about Union citizenship as it is now and how it
has evolved over the last twenty years, but also how it should develop in
future. A Charter or declaration should provide clarity and a framework within
which Union citizenship should develop."

Mr Farrugia said that he supported also
the objectives put forward for the year in article 2 and which correspond to
this first ever transnational citizenship of modern times. The 3 objectives
cover what are considered as the main component of any true citizenship:
rights, access and belonging.

The objectives are focused rightly on
European citizens' rights in cross-border situations. There are other European
rights and policies which are not limited to free movement. There should also
be more emphasis on listening to citizens, not just a top-down awareness
raising campaign. He suggested that the objectives should be modified as
follows:

to raise awareness of
European rights starting with the right to move and reside freely within the
Union by explaining the economic, social and political rights attached to Union
citizenship within the broader context of the Charter of Fundamental Rights ;

to listen to
citizens' concerns, especially in this time of economic and social crisis and
give them the opportunity to participate in civic fora on Union policies and
issues;

to stimulate a debate
about the meaning, impact and potential of Union Citizenship in particular to
strengthen mutual understanding and support among European citizens.

The key issue is whether a straight
forward centralised information and communication campaign which the Commission
makes the main focus of the year is enough to meet such objectives. This is not
just a question of resources, although it is clear that the one million euro
proposed is insufficient. Opinion polls suggest that there is a paradox with a
high percentage of people recognising that at some level they are European
citizens and greatly appreciate the free movement attached to this status,
whilst having a low knowledge of what European citizenship rights actually are.
This situation has not changed. No amount of awareness-raising will resolve
this paradox, which in reality reflects the deeper problem the year should
address: there is no clear consensus about the meaning of European citizenship.
By the end of 2013 there should be a clearer consensus of European citizenship
around a Charter or declaration, even if this is an evolutionary citizenship
which should not be set in stone. This is not just a communication gap.

I conclusion Mr Farrugia stated that he
supports the objectives of the year and proposes that activities are organized
around 4 strands:

An action plan to remove barriers to free movement and
other European citizenship rights

An outreach programme for civil society involvement in the
year

Bringing civil society together to create a European
citizenship Charter or declaration in partnership with the Institutions

Involving national parliaments and governments in the
European Year of citizenship.

Malta
Enterprise is inviting Maltese companies to participate in the Libya
Post-Revolution Infrastructure and Investment Summit to be held in Tripoli
between the 2^nd and 3^rd October 2012, organised by the EU
– LIBYA CHAMBER of COMMERCE in coordination with various Media Partners and
Supporting Organisations, including The Ministry of Economy, Libya.

A
wide range of major significant issues on new infrastructures & up-to-date
technologies & know-how, future growth activities on developing sectors
like healthcare, ICT, financial services, oil, gas & petrochemical markets,
will be covered.

The
development of foreign direct investment, its challenges & opportunities
and revealing strategies for the future plans will play a central part of the
proceedings. These will be highlighted by most eligible international speakers
on a case-by-case basis. Top Multinational Corporations and Multilateral
Financing Institutions have confirmed their presence and the Summit will also
be attended by eminent policy-makers, oil, gas & petrochemical specialists,
analysts, consultants, banks, insurance companies, financiers, manufacturers
and contractors and is expected to be at full capacity.

This
Summit will give attendees the opportunity to network with key Public and
Private sector senior decision-makers from 25 countries. The EU-Libya Chamber of
Commerce will endeavour to organise B2B meetings for the Malta Enterprise
clients with the foreign participants, with a view to form business
partnerships and alliances. 

The
EU-Libya Chamber of Commerce is granting Maltese companies, clients of Malta Enterprise,
a discount on the participation fee from €1,850 to €800.  Equivalent
discounts are also being given as regards exhibition space and sponsorship.
Further information on this conference can be found on: www.eulibyacc.org/flip_book_agenda/index.html

 Companies
wishing to participate through Malta Enterprise are kindly asked to contact the
Internationalisation Unit on by Friday 7^th September
2012.

CleanWine: Novel, fast and low cost sterilization
method based in supercritical carbon dioxide to sterilise wine and must

Closure Date: 15/11/2012

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/ES/PS-SME-ES-1685

OENO – Optical portable Equipment for NOn-destructive
analysis in winemaking process. From bunch to bottle

Closure Date: 15/11/2012

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/ES/PS-SME-ES-1700

OptimCure – Sausage curation energy and quality
optimization by means of advanced complex control
Closure Date: 15/11/2012

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/ES/PS-SME-ES-1723

DEVELOPMENT OF MULTILAYER SYSTEMS BASED ON BIOPOLYMER
MATRICES FOR FOOD ACTIVE PACKAGING
Closure Date: 15/11/2012

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/ES/PS-SME-ES-1688

Automation peduncle-cutting system "AVO-CUT"
Closure Date: 15/11/2012

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/ES/PS-SME-ES-1780

Chemical / Petrochemical

CorroScan
Closure Date: 15/11/2012

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/UK/PS-SME-UK-1703

Information and Communication
Technologies

Decision support software for the optimized selection
and positioning of implants for bone fractures (ISS-med)
Closure Date: 15/11/2012

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/AT/PS-SME-AT-1694

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/AT/PS-SME-AT-1697

City Trail: AN INNOVATIVE SYSTEM TO ASSIST BLIND AND
VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE COMMUTING IN A CITY
Closure Date: 15/11/2012

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/PL/PS-SME-PL-1774

Medical / Biomedical equipment

Modular Mobile Units for Medical Application
(Hospital-in-the-Box)
Closure Date: 15/11/2012

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/UK/PS-SME-UK-1673

GENERA BIOTECH Client: Developing a rapid
point-of-care sensor platform for the diagnosis of specific diseases
Closure Date: 15/11/2012

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/ES/PS-SME-ES-1783

Machinery / Instruments / Sensors

OkraVision

Closure Date: 15/11/2012

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/EE/PS-SME-EE-1596

SNIFFER – NOVEL METHOD TO DETECT CHLOROANISOLES
PRESENT IN CORK STOPPERS
Closure Date: 15/11/2012

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/ES/PS-SME-ES-1734

WearInspect: Vision-based tool condition monitoring of
machining processes
Closure Date: 15/11/2012

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/ES/PS-SME-ES-1691

Environment / Waste

PROCEEDS- Competitiveness improvement by research and
innovation for recycling of used cooking oil and transformation into useful and
sustainable new products

Closure Date: 15/11/2012

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/ES/PS-SME-ES-1676

Health care

Plasma Utilisation for Removal of Germs in healthcare
Environs (PURGE)

Closure Date: 15/11/2012

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/IE/PS-SME-IE-1747

Measurements / Testing

ISPACT: Development of an advanced integrated system
forthe purposes of anti-corrosion coating tests
Closure Date: 15/11/2012

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/PL/PS-SME-PL-1771

Electronics / Electrical Industry

PrSafePath: Low-cost Wireless Emergency Evacuation
System for Public Utility Buildings
Closure Date: 15/11/2012

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/PL/PS-SME-PL-1768

Agriculture / Forestry

RIPERAL – Analysis of RIPEness and quality using a
portable cost-effective hyperspectRAL device
Closure Date: 15/11/2012

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/ES/PS-SME-ES-1739

Transport

CityNet: Urban air pollution and weather conditions
monitoring network powered with renewable energy
Closure Date: 15/11/2012

www.ncp-sme.net/Countries/PL/PS-SME-PL-1777

Price Indication
on cars for sale is required by law – MCCAA to enforce
if no action is taken – GRTU has been informed by the Malta
Compeition and Consumer Affairs Authority Enforcement section that they have
noted that  the vast majority of second hand car dealers fail to comply
with the relevant legislation with regard to price indication.

The provisions of the Consumer Affairs
Act (Price Indication) Regulations (S.L.378.09) as well as the provisions
contained in Articles 51A to 51J of the Consumer Affairs Act (Cap. 378) 
are the relevant legislation emanating from EU Directives.  The Price Indication Regulations legally requires
 traders who offer goods for sale on a retail basis to indicate the prices
in an unambiguous, easily identifiable and clearly legible manner. 
 Articles 51A to 51J of the Consumer Affairs Act constitute the
transposition to Malta's legislation of the Unfair Commercial Practices
Directive.  This specifically makes it an unfair commercial practice to
omit material information including the price of the product. The Price
Indication Regulations and the Consumer Affairs Act are being attached for ease
of reference.

The MCCAA informed the GRTU that they
have the power to enforce but they asked the GRTU to bring the issue to the
attention of its members in the Used Car Dealers sector and that their
immediate compliance is required to avoid the institution of the proceedings
(criminal and administrative) as established by the law.

This was the topic of a conference
organized this week by the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA)
following an important development at EU level where a Framework Agreement on
the protection of occupational health and safety in the hairdressing sector was
signed. Mr Kenneth Ellul, GRTU member within the hairdresser sector, presented
GRTU's views.

GRTU and its representatives at EU
level UEAPME and EuroCommerce learned of the Framework Agreement only when it
was practically finalized. CoiffureEU together with its Maltese member theHair
and Beauty Federation signed the agreement in representation of employers. GRTU is not satisfied with the
amount of consultation that accompanied the introduction of such an important
agreement, which as it transpires was marginal. At national level it is now up
to the Hair and Beauty Federation to make sure that its members follow the
clauses of the Agreement and report back on implementation to the European
Commission. So far, it is not legally binding, as the Commission must still
decide whether it should become a directive.

GRTU's conclusion is that the agreement
is not bad news however it is not sensitive enough to the local service
providers. GRTU has consulted its members within the hairdressers section and
it transpired that they do already follow most of the content of the Agreement
however some clauses need not be as specific for the results they seek to
achieve.

There indeed are a number of hazards
that modern and equipped hairdressers today face and it is in the hairdressers'
direct interest to take any possible action for the benefit not only of their
employees and clients but for themselves and their family at the end of the
day. Hairdressers are however hindered by the usual limitations haunting
self-employed and micro-enterprises which are lack of resources and guidance.
They are however aggravated by the fact that they are subject to heavy unfair
competition by mobile hairdressers that operate with minimal certification and
training. Isn't it serious having semi trained and certified hairdressers
operate from people's homes when we are acknowledging that the occupation
carries such a hazard? Unfortunately this Framework Agreement like any other
new imposition on hairdressers, no matter how important, adds an extra burden
on the bona-fide hairdressers who are fully certified and undergo regular
training throughout their operation and in no way seeks to address those huge
numbers that operate under the radar.

Established hairdressers operate within
the principles of the framework agreement and even go beyond in some cases.
According to the president of the Hair and Beauty Federation, Corinne Farrugia,
who herself signed the agreement; many hairdressers do not carry out risk
assessments for hazards because they are not aware of their legal obligations
to do so. It is very easy to point the finger at hairdressers. Their role is to
run their business and need guidance to help them do things better. It is not
that they are not aware that there exist obligations but they are easily
alienated by other issues that are not perceived as immediate priority and
would appreciate having their attention directed and guided.

Guido Schwarz, a policy officer from
the European Commission, explained that the agreement aimed to guide
hairdressers on how to improve health and safety. The GRTU agrees that in fact
the Agreement is a document that offers good guidance and a source of
information but hairdressers still have to be guided. One also needs to
acknowledge that hairdressers are sometimes the victims of products that have
the wrong components, pH, etc…This makes the life of hairdressers
unnecessarily difficult.

GRTU and its members feel that the
Agreement outlines the basic standards that today are common practice. It is
obvious for them to choose height adjustable chairs, choose the least toxic
chemicals and use the most advanced tools when possible. We do however have a
problem when the Framework Agreement becomes far too technical stating that
illumination should be at 400lux minimum and fresh air flow should be of
100m3/hour per person. How are hairdressers expected to carry out such a
measurement? GRTU and its members feel that it is sufficient to state
illumination and fresh air flow should be adequate and sufficient to carry out
the work without problems.

There are a number of Member States
that oppose the agreement such as UK, Netherlands and Denmark. We feel that
implementing it into a Directive is not necessary and it is sufficient for it
to remain a Framework Agreement and offer guidance. It should not go any
further.