Author: SME Chamber

Packaging waste in the EU – According to the latest Eurostat statistics on packaging waste in the EU, on average, every EU citizen in the EU27 generated 164 kg of packaging waste in 2008. This quantity varied between 40 kg and 233 kg per capital across European countries. Paper and cardboard, glass, plastics, wood, and metals are, in that order, the most common types of packaging waste in European countries.

Consumer markets scoreboard

According to the latest Consumer Markets Scoreboard, financial services, investments (including pensions and securities), mortgages and real estate services are the markets which are the most likely to be failing consumers across the EU. Among goods markets, second-hand cars and fuels have the poorest ratings. Compared to the situation in 2010, electricity supply and fuels are perceived to have deteriorated most.

Survey on European attitudes on the crisis

A survey on the attitudes of Europeans to the Euro crisis shows that a majority of Europeans are worried about the effects of the crisis on their personal situation. A growing number of Europeans believe that the crisis is going to last for many more years. The number of Europeans who consider that the Euro has mitigated the negative effects of the current crisis remains stable across the EU27. However the number of those who disagree has slightly decreased in 14 Member States and increased in 13 Member States.

Food safety report

From the 2010 annual report on the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) it emerges that the number of notifications in RASFF rose to 8,582 last year. This is a record number and constitutes an increase of 8% compared to 2009 when the number of notifications was slightly under 8,000. This is the third consecutive year where an increase in the number of notifications has been registered. This is largely due to rejections of consignments at EU borders in the light of the strengthening of border controls on food products of non-animal origin.

Galileo: Europe launches its first satellites for smart navigation system

Europe launched into space its first operational Galileo satellites. These were the first two satellites to be launched out of a future 30 satellite constellation that is estimated to generate around €90 billion over the next 20 years. The satellites are also interoperable and compatible with GPS and, as from 2014, are expected to bring around improvements in services ranging from more precise in-car navigation and effective road transport management to improved search and rescue services, more secure banking services and a more reliable electricity provision.

Info: MEUSACNews

MEUSAC will be organising a consultation session on the Multi-annual Financial Framework of the EU for the period 2014-2020. The session is being held as follows: 

Venue: 254, Europe House, St Paul Street, Valletta

Date: Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Time: 14.00 – 16.00 hrs

To register for the event contact .

ETC launched their new website which is aimed to serve your needs better. This website contains a lot of information structured in a manner that is easy to locate. The website also contains a number of e-services aimed at enhancing your experience with us.

It is recommended that an e-ID registration is acquired, since some of the services are restricted to e-ID users. Kindly note that only individuals in possession of the Maltese National ID card qualify to register for the e-ID.

Employers may also register for the e-ID Organisation. In order to qualify for an e-ID Organisation, organisations / entities should be registered with MFSA. In such situation, both the Organisation as well as the personnel that will be responsible for these services should have an e-ID.

In the case of multiple companies you will have to register each company with the e-ID office, once the companies are registered, the ETC employer service can be delegated to the same person's e-ID and hence the user will be able to use the same username and password for the three companies. You will then select for which company you will be performing the action. Online help is available within the website.

They have compiled the attached instructions for your perusal.

For more information on how to register for an e-ID kindly contact the e-ID Helpdesk:

e-ID Helpdesk Tel – 21226627/8

Email –

Link – https://mygov.mt/PORTAL/(0thhy5echoiifuv05avrld55)/webforms/faqs.aspx
For any information on ETC services and on the new website, please email us on:

The Commission published its communication on SMEs & internationalisation. Good news for SMEs, is that the Commission will concentrate its efforts on business support measures (ensuring and measuring their effectiveness and on targeting the enterprises that need the most assistance) as well as reform the "Europe Enterprise Network". This network will be changed into a international business portal where all information about existing and new support schemes will be found. The Commission also foresees the establishment of an "Internationalisation Forum" to discuss and exchange best practices.

The objectives of the new EU strategy are the following:

• To provide SMEs with easily accessible and adequate information on how to expand their business outside the EU.
• To improve the coherence of support activities.
• To improve the cost-effectiveness of support activities.
• To fill existing gaps in support services.
• To establish a level playing field and provide equal access for SMEs from all EU Member States.

More concretely, the strategy sets out the following field of actions:

• Strengthening the existing supply of support services in priority markets;
• Improving the governance structure of the Enterprise Europe Network to allow better collaboration with hosting organisations and stakeholders.
• Making support schemes at EU level more consistent to raise their impact; currently there are more than 300 support programmes at national level, often focusing on one growing region only whilst in the meantime new growth regions have emerged.
• Promoting clusters and networks for SME internationalisatin;
• Orchestrating pan-European collaboration in priority markets to make the most of the public funds spent;
• Creating a single virtual gateway to information for SMEs wishing to do business beyond the UE borders;
• Leveraging existing EU policies to accelerate the international growth of European SMEs

As part of its programme of ‘smart regulation', the European Commission (Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion) is reviewing EU legislation on the Information and Consultation of employees at company level and has asked Deloitte Consulting to evaluate the operation and effects of three EU Directives in this field.

Besides a number of practical case studies in companies and interviews with the social partners and national authorities throughout the EU Member States and EEA countries, a short web-based questionnaire has been developed by Deloitte Consulting in collaboration with the European Commission and the European social partners in order to gather as many views as possible from employers.

The results of this Europe-wide web-based survey will be particularly useful in providing practical information about current experience with Information and Consultation of employees in the EU Member States and EEA countries. The European Commission will build on these results when considering future legislative action in this field. It is therefore of great importance that you ensure that the questionnaire is distributed and completed as widely as possible in your country.

The questionnaire uses a simple multiple choice format also allowing respondents to make further comments if they wish to do so. It should take no more than 20 minutes to complete. It is already operational and available in English, and will be active until 15^th December 2011. Please note that all responses will remain strictly confidential.

Please find the link to the web-based questionnaire below:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/IC_EN

The European Commission announced that it would launch a review of how it supports European companies in the face of unfair competition from across the globe. The EU uses its so-called 'Trade Defence Instruments' to counter the dumping of under-priced products on its markets, re-establish a level playing field for its businesses in the face of unfair subsidies and ensure healthy competition through safeguards, in the event of sudden shifts in trade flows.

The last revision of these mechanisms was in 1995 and the European Commission believes there is now a need for an examination of their efficiency and effectiveness. This debate, which will call for input from all stakeholders including producers, importers, exporters, business organisations, EU capitals, the European Parliament as well as independent experts on trade defence, has been highlighted as an essential element of Commissioner De Gucht's five year-long mandate for Trade.

"Open trade based upon a global system of rules, fair competition and a level-playing field for all businesses are the very foundations of EU trade policy. Our trade defence system is vital to ensure that this is maintained in the face of unfair practices. But, we need to make sure our mechanism remains cutting-edge and effective in the face of challenges from an increasingly globalized economic environment. That's why I want to encourage everyone with an interest to be involved in this debate. I'm launching this review to examine in a transparent, balanced and constructive way how we should modernise our trade defence mechanism", stated EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht.

Background

In line with WTO rules, the EU has three trade remedy instruments at its disposal to address unfair or suddenly rising imports due to unfair practices by non-EU countries: anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and safeguards, of which anti-dumping is the most frequently used. As an example, when an EU industry considers that imports of a product from a non-EU country are subsidised or sold at prices lower than the market value and therefore injuring the EU industry producing the same product, it can lodge a complaint with the European Commission, providing evidence of the unfair practice and economic difficulties caused. The European Commission is responsible for investigating these allegations of dumping or subsidisation. Its Trade Defence Instruments (TDI) are provided for in the framework of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). All WTO members have the right to initiate such investigations and to impose measures in accordance with well defined criteria.

The European Union is a moderate user of the instruments in relation to its trade volume and when compared to other trading partners. The EU had 124 anti-dumping (AD) measures and 11 anti-subsidy (AS) measures in force at the end of 2010. In comparison, the other big users of the instruments are the USA with 250 AD and 48 AS, India with 208 AD, Turkey with 121 AD and 1 AS, China with 118 AD and 2 AS and Argentina with 91 AD and 1 AS measure in force at the end of 2010. 15 new anti-dumping investigations and 3 anti-subsidy investigations were initiated in the EU in 2010, and 11 AD and 3 AS investigations are ongoing in 2011 to date. However, EU trade defence measures affected only around 0,5 % of imports into the EU in 2010.

In today's globalised economy, with a general tendency to remove obstacles to trade, these instruments are often the only means that companies have in order to restore fair trading conditions. Therefore, it is essential that the instruments are effective and able to defend the interest of all stakeholders involved, i.e. producers, importers and consumers, in the best possible way. Indeed, the EU is the only WTO member to systematically assess the interests of all parties likely to be concerned by the imposition of trade defence measures.

Why did you become an entrepreneur? Entrepreneurship has been in my blood since when I can remember. We can say I was born with it and after a number of years working for the public service I decided to venture into business together with my younger brother.

How have you come to chose your line of business?

In the same sector as my father's.

Where did you go on your last holiday?

North Italy and the thing that impressed me most where the environment, especially the green areas, the excellent weather and cleanliness.

What is your earliest memory?

My holy communion

If you could chose to be someone famous who would you be?

Bill Clinton

GRTU considers this Budget as being on the right track and one that continues to steer our county away from worries. This is a strong and determined Budget in the circumstances we are facing today. It continues to substantially invest in new capital and new schemes that enhance the productive ability of SMEs, while at the same time helping families and the vulnerable sectors. The focus on giving new stimulus to consumer confidence is particularly important at this time where the consumer is surrounded by negative news. 

Budget 2012 has a total expenditure of €3.106B representing 45% of the total Maltese GDP, an increase of 7.4% on the cost of last year. GRTU is pleased that Government stayed away from increasing public spending unnecessarily but GRTU believes that Government could have reduced it further. GRTU however is satisfied that finally the lowering of the deficit is being addressed.

The GRTU positively assess the number of schemes that the Government is maintaining and for which it is increasing allocated funds for the largest number of enterprises in Malta, the SMEs represented by the GRTU. The GRTU particularly expresses its satisfaction that Government accepted GRTU's key proposal to create a Government guaranteed bank loan scheme. This is an excellent scheme that goes beyond the limits of the Micro Credit Scheme as it allows more intensive borrowings that can be utilised not only for expanding operations but also to help a large number of enterprises get out from the enormous cash-flow problems they are currently in.

Budget 2012 also positively puts on the table a number of other schemes to boost different small sectors in the field of creativity and culture, information technology and other areas that continue fostering options of investment for SMEs. Government is increasing it's efforts to encourage people that could be productive to stay, enter or re-enter the labour market such as women, youths and seniors.

Something that therefore seems odd to the GRTU is that Government failed to take-up GRTU's request to relieve the elderly from social contributions to encourage them to stay in the world of work. On the same lines Government should also have accepted GRTU's request that those people whose work and productivity is required for the benefit of the country to pay only the 15% tax rate. 

In particular the GRTU expresses its satisfaction for the innovative scheme targeting parents to relieve them of some of the cost of raising children by reducing their taxes and therefore increasing their purchasing power.

GRTU in its proposals for Budget 2012 also presented a strong package on what should be done to assist the economy within the localities and in particular has pointed out at the use of many empty properties spread throughout Malta and regrets that Government took very little from these suggestions. GRTU however is satisfied that the Government is incentivising individuals to regenerate their property through tax advantages.

The strategy adopted by GRTU for Budget 2012 sought to boost the fixed capital formation essential for economic development. In this regard this Budget includes a number of interesting incentives to foster private sector capital investment. GRTU also emphasises that capital expenditure must continue to be specifically addressed to young entrepreneurs and not just to large contractors. This year many small contractors succeeded in winning works to be carried out on public roads and Government must ensure that this continues to happen. 

In its proposals GRTU also presented a set of proposals targeted at the creation of green jobs. GRTU in particular had called on Government to create the structures needed to operate the scheme that utilises electronic and electrical waste (WEEE) which would have served as a source of new and specialized jobs in the sector of Waste Management.

The GRTU also considers as positive the schemes that Government is operating for the replacement of high emission cars and another scheme that will hopefully put an end the history of unpaid licenses. The GRTU also congratulates the Government in finally stopping the imposition of a television license, something that GRTU has been insisting on for years. 

GRTU expects greater efforts in 2012 against the large number of free riders that are evading tax creating unfair competition.

Gas distributors will be taking action if Liquigas is allowed to embark on its own distribution system. Distributors have exclusivity, which Liquigas is bound to honour contractually.

Liquigas is however making several attempts to destroy the system which had worked well in Malta for years. Should Liquigas be allowed to impose its system under an excuse or another, trouble will follow. Liquigas had already tried to destroy its competitor and it is now turning on to the distributors.

The GRTU does not want to create trouble or hardship to consumers but if Liquigas were to do what it wanted, GRTU would have to issue the necessary directives to protect its members.