Category: Archive – 2013

GRTU has this week attended a consultation session organized
by MEUSAC in conjunction with the MCCAA on the subject in caption.The free
movement of safe consumer products is one of the cornerstones of the European
Union. It is an important pillar of the single market and gives consumers
confidence when purchasing products. The impact of this Proposal will have
positive outcomes on:

Consumers through reinforced confidence that consumer products made
available on the single market are safe.

Economic operators with clearer rules as regards the respective obligation
incumbent on manufacturers, importers and distributors.

Authorities with clear legal framework to enforce general safety
requirement and obligations on economic operators and better identification of
(dangerous) consumer products.

The package, adopted
by the European Commission on February 13, 2013 will be discussed in the
European Parliament and in the Council. It is expected that the new legislation
will come into effect in 2015 or later.

Consumer product safety

This Proposal for a Regulation on consumer product safety
concerns manufactured non-food consumer products. It requires that consumer
products must be "safe", sets certain obligations on economic
operators and contains provisions for the development of standards in support
of the general safety requirement. However, the operation of the proposed
Regulation and its interface with other Union legislation will be significantly
streamlined and simplified whilst maintaining a high level of protection of the
health and safety of consumers.

The proposed Regulation clearly delimits its scope of
application compared to Sectoral Union harmonisation legislation. Whilst the
general principle that all non food consumer products must be safe applies
across the board, the more detailed obligations on economic operators only
apply to those operators that are not subject to corresponding obligations laid
down in harmonising legislation covering a specific product sector. The
Commission envisages drawing up guidance which will help businesses, in
particular small and medium-size enterprises, to identify which legislation applies
to the consumer products they manufacture or distribute.

Market surveillance of products

The Proposal is part of the "Product Safety and Market
Surveillance Package" which also includes a Proposal for a Regulation on
consumer product safety (replacing the GPSD) and a multi-annual action plan for
market surveillance covering the period 2013-2015.

Although harmonisation rules are in place for most products a
good legislative framework is only as effective as those using it allow it to
be. Alongside responsible economic operators, prepared to adapt their methods
and incur the costs necessary to comply with the law, there will always be
those traders who cut corners or deliberately flout the rules
to ‘make a fast buck' or gain a competitive edge.

Market surveillance is
the answer. If high quality legislation, based on a sound evaluation of market
needs is one side of the coin, market surveillance is the other. It should
enable unsafe or otherwise harmful products to be identified and kept or taken
off the market and unscrupulous or even criminal operators punished. It should
also act as a powerful deterrent.

This Proposal aims at
clarifying the regulatory framework for market surveillance in the field of
non-food products. It merges the rules on market surveillance of the GPSD,
Regulation (EC) 765/2008 and many sector-specific pieces of Union harmonization
legislation into a single legal instrument that applies horizontally across all
sectors.

Market surveillance
action by national authorities has important implications for small and
medium-sized enterprises. Consequently, their situation should be taken into
account particularly in relation to action that could impose additional
administrative burdens.

GRTU position

GRTU believes that
consumer confidence is a clear priority for business. We are therefore
supportive of the Commission's goals to ensure a high level product safety for
consumers throughout Europe and to achieve the smooth functioning of the single
market for goods.

In this respect GRTU
welcomes the package on Product Safety and Market Surveillance and supports the
package's aim to streamline EU legislation for product safety. By providing a
common framework for all non-food products and clear responsibilities for every
private and public operator, the Commission will increase legal certainty. We,
as economic operators, welcome this: It will enable us to further strengthen
safety mechanisms. Combined with consistent, fair and effective enforcement,
this will help achieve the goal of placing only safe products on the market.

Green MT has started its half yearly
distribution of grey bags to Santa Venera Local Council residents. Earlier this
week and continuing into next week we are distributing grey bags door to door
together with a leaflet outlining a holistic approach to waste management in
Santa Venera.

Green MT is currently recovering
near to four tons of Packaging Waste weekly from Santa Venera with the
cooperation of its contractor Northern Cleaners Group Ltd.

Eco Councillors will leave a
flyer at your door if you are not at home. The flyer entitles you to grey bags
collection from the Local Council on a Saturday morning.

Green MT continues to operate the
largest Packaging Waste Complaince Scheme in Malta. Last year the Scheme
recovered nearly 13, 000 tons of Packaging Waste from its Local Councils,
commercial establishments and Bring in Sites.

The Government in collaboration with the
Malta Environment and Planning Authority has launched a three week public
consultation to listen to suggestions from the public on how the planning
system and other procedures within MEPA can be simplified.Through this reform, Government
intends to reduce bureaucratic procedures and eliminate procedures which
overlap and duplicate work.

The process is also part of the
government's plan to divide MEPA into two Authorities, with an Authority
responsible for Planning and Sustainable Development and another responsible
for the Environment and Resources.

GRTU is currently drafting its
position in reply to the consultation and members wishing to raise points and
have them included in GRTU's position are invited to send any comments/
suggestions they have on
by Wednesday 5th June.

One can also send their contributions
directly on .

Green Mt, the National Authorised
Packaging Waste Scheme has been collecting glass from a number of Local
Councils since September 2011. Siggiewi was the first Local Council which
provided its residents with black crates (supplied by Green MT), so that residents
could place glass in this crate and as such provide a tidy means of recovery.

It has transpired over the months
that a large number of these crates are stolen for other purposes, mainly
agricultural. So although expanding the Scheme to other three localities, the
Scheme has not distributed crates other then for Birgu (Vittoriosa).

The collections are made mostly
on a Monday and over three tons are collected weekly. However Green MT has now
ceased to provide the crates, after our learning curve and are now asking
residents to place glass in a carton or on the door step for early collection
on Monday.

The public is to be made aware
that currently glass is not sold at a positive price but we are sure that it
can be used by contractors in road construction, if the Competent Authority can
assure Schemes that such volumes used are considered when one is verifying
rcycling targets.

Green Mt also has 260 Glass Bins
in 34 Local Councils from which approximately, 150 tons are recovered. It is
well to note that collection of glass is on the increase in the sister island
of Gozo from the commercial sector.( 25 tons monthly).

Abusing next to bring in Sites is
also an issue. It costs Green mt good money to clean these sites and continous
cooperation of the Local Councils  is
highly appreciated.

Id-Decizjoni
tal-Kummisjoni Ewropea li tpoggi lill-Malta taht Excessive Deficit Procedures hi ahbar hazina. – Il-GRTU Kamra Maltija ghall-Intraprizi Zghar u Medji bl-akbar
rapprezentanza f'Malta ta' intraprizi micro,
small u
medji, ssostni li id-decizjoni li hadet illum il-Kummissjoni Ewropea li terga'
tpoggi lil Malta f'sitwazzjoni ta' excessive
deficit procedures hi decizjoni hazina hafna ghal Malta u se taghti messagg ikrah
lill-investituri fi zmien li diga' hu difficli.

Il-GRTU issostni li Malta setghet ghamlet pass hafna ahjar
biex f'pajjizna ikunu evitati il-konsegwenzi negattivi ta' din id-decizjoni
tal-Kumissjoni. Malta diga' ghaddiet minn din l-esperjenza qarsa fl-2004
sal-2007 u ghal darb'ohra bejn l-2009 u l-2012. Matul dawn iz-zewg perjodi,
allavolja tat-tieni kien gie fiz-zmien li Malta intlaqtet mir-ricessjoni,
pajjizna ghamel is-sagrificcji mehtiega u kuntrarjament ghal hafna pajjizi
ewropej ohra, irnexxilu malajr johrog mir-ricessjoni u jkompli jkattar il-gid
ekonomiku u jsostni it-tkattir tal-impjiegi, allavolja kellhom jiddahhlu
decizjonijiet iebsin. In-Nuqqas izda ta' ftehim fuq livell Nazzjonali fuq numru
twil ta' snin bejn Gvern u imsiehba socjali ma tax il-garanziji mehtiega li pajjizna
jimxi b'mod sod u konsistenti.

Pajjizna ghandu l-aktar ekonomija miftuha fl-Ewropa u
niddependu kwazi ghal kollox fuq l-andament ekonomiku fil-kumplament
tal-imsiehba fl-Unjoni Ewropeja, b'mod partikolari fiz-Zona Ewro, u ghalkemm
l-isforzi taghna f'Malta, pozittivi u negattivi, kif ukoll il-hegga li bihom
inwettqu ir-riformi indikati mill-Kummisjoni Ewropea, huma importanti, jibqa'
li Malta dejjem hi suggetta ghal dak li jsir fil-kumplament tal-Ewropa, b'mod
partikolari fiz-Zona Ewro, aktar minn kull pajjiz iehor fl-Unjoni Ewropea.
Il-GRTU issostni li l-Kumissjoni ma tatx piz bizejjed lil dan l-impatt u
l-Awtoritajiet Maltin kellhom jinsistu aktar biex il-Kummissjoni tkejjel sew
dan l-impatt qabel ma regghet poggiet lil Malta ghat-tielet darba taht excessive budget
procedures.

Dan ma jfissirx, issostni il-GRTU, li f'pajjizna
kulhadd qed
jifhem kemm hu importanti li naghtu kaz u b'serjeta' l-obbligi taghna
bhala
pajjiz membru shih tal-Unjoni Ewropeja u membru tal-Unjoni Ekonomika u
Monetarja. Il-politici taghna, fl-ahhar Parlament, ghamlu zball kbir
meta ma
approvawx il-Budget 2013 f'Novembru li
ghadda u il-fatt illi in-Nefqa Pubblika u it-thaddim tal-iskemi imfassla
fil-Budget 2013 wara konsultazzjoni mal-imsiehba socjali, ma setghux
jithaddmu
fl-assenza ta' Budget approvat, xekkel
mhux ftit it-tkattir ekonomiku tal-ekonomija Maltija fl-ewwel erba' xhur
ta'
din is-sena. It-tahwid politiku tal-ahhar parti tas-sena 2012 ukoll
gharraq
l-andament ekonomiku pozittiv tal-ekonomija Maltija. Il-kampanja
elettorali
twila ukoll m'ghinitx biex l-intraprizi Maltin ikomplu jaghtu s-sehem
shih
taghhom biex l-ekonomija tkompli tikber. It-tahwid poilitiku ghin ukoll
b'mod
negattiv biex ma sarux ir-riformi li kellhom isiru. Dawn issa ghad iridu
jitfasslu u jitwettqu specjalment f'settur importanti ghan-nefqa
pubblika bhal
ma hi il-kwistjoni tal-Pensjonijiet u l-kwistjoni tal-Finanzjament
tas-settur
tas-Sahha u tas-Servizzi Socjali. Dawn sfortunatament baqghu fuq
l-ixkaffa meta
kull min hu
serju kien jaf li fil-fatt kellhom ikunu indirizzati b'urgenza.

Illum pajjizna ghandu Gvern b'maggoranza qawwija.
Gvern li
jista' jdahhal ir-riformi mehtiega bi qbil mal-imsiehba socjali u
s-socjeta'
civili organizzata. Dan hu fatt li l-Kummissjoni kellha tiehdu in
konsiderazzjoni. Hu ghalhekk li l-GRTU ssostni li hu possibbli li
b'immanigjar
tal-ekonomija iktar deciziv u bl-impenn shih ta' Gvern u Oppozizzjoni,
imsiehba
socjali u socjeta' civili organizzata, li pajjizna hu kapaci jirrisolvi
il-problema ta' excessive deficit sal-ahhar tal-2014. Il-GRTU issostni
li jekk
il-Gvern jaghraf juza' sew il-hilijiet ta' kulhadd, b'mod partikolari
ta' min
hu l-aktar kapaci, irrispettivament mill-kulur politiku tal-individwi,
Malta
tista' twettaq ir-riformi mehtiega u timplimenta is-soluzzjonijiet
miftehma
biex l-2013 taghlaq b'headline
deficit target ta' 3.4% tal-GDP u il-Gvern jaghlaq is-sena 2014
b'headline deficit target ta' 2.7% tal-GDP. Il-GRTU temmen ukoll li hu
possibli li b'rieda qawwija mill-imsiehba socjali u bit-tmexxija miftuha
u
deciziva, li d-debt ratio ta' pajjizna
jersaq aktar lejn is-60% tal-GDP li hu mehtieg biex Malta tkun konformi
mal-obbligazzjonijiet taghha bhala membru fiz-zona ewro. Il-GRTU temmen
li dan
jista' jsir b'pass sodisfacenti u bla htiega ta' awsterita' zejda.

Sfortunatament, izda, il-GRTU
issostni li jekk din il-kwistjoni ma tinghatax l-attenzzjoni massima u
l-urgenza u l-prijorita' kollha li titlob, lil'hinn minn kull weghda ohra
elettorali li setghet saret, is-sitwazzjoni ta' tkattir ekonomiku fjakk u
nuqqas ta' holqien ta' xoghol tkompli tehzien fix-xhur li gejjien b'effett
negattiv akbar fuq id-deficit finanzjarju.
Id-decizjoni tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea hi decizjoni hazina u dannuza ghal Malta u
titfa lil pajjizna lura ghax twassal messagg negattiv fi zmien difficli. Hu
ghalhekk importanti li ilkoll flimkien, Gvern, Opozizzjoni, Msiehba Socjali u
Socjeta Civili, li nqumu ghall-isfida u neghlbuha.

Il-GRTU illum resqet talba b'urgenza lic-Chairman tal-MCESD
biex isejjah laqgha tal-MCESD biex ikun diskuss il-Country Specific Report dwar Malta u l-impatt ta' tqeghid ta' Malta taht
excessive deficit procedures u biex
l-imsiehba socjali jaqblu fuq pjan ta' azzjoni li jwassal biex Malta tehles
darba ghal dejjem minn sitwazzjoni fejn pajjizna diehel u hiereg taht excessive deficit procedures.

The Euro is the
single currency shared by 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union.
Each of the new EU member states is expected to adopt the euro once it meets
the necessary criteria. In the long run, virtually all EU countries should join
the euro area.

The euro gives consumers in Europe considerable
advantage. Travellers are spared the cost and inconvenience of changing
currencies. Shoppers can directly compare prices in different countries. Prices
are stable thanks to the European Central Bank, whose job is to maintain this
stability. Moreover the euro has become a major reserve currency, alongside the
US dollar. During the 2008financial crises, having a common currency protected
euro area countries from competitive devaluation and from attack by
speculators.

Its creation

At the European Council in Madrid in June 1989,
EU leaders adopted a three stage plan for economic and monetary union (EMU):

1.  Stage one began on 1 July 1990, involved completely free movement of
capital within the EU, increasing the Structural Funds to remove inequalities
and economic convergence.

2. Stage two
began on 1 January 1994. It involved setting up the European Monetary Institute
(EMI) in Frankfurt made up of the central banks of the EU countries; making
national central banks independent of government control and introducing rules
to curb national budget deficits.

3. Stage three was
the birth process of the euro. From 1 January 1999 to 1 January 2002, the euro
was phased in as the common currency of EU countries that participated.

Counties having the Euro currency

Denmark, Sweden and the UK decided, for political and
technical reasons, not to adopt the euro when it was launched. Slovenia joined
the euro area in 2007, followed by Cyprus and Malta in 2008 and Slovakia in
2009 and Estonia in 2011. More countries are let to join once they have meet
the 5 convergence criteria:

Price stability, Interest
rates, Deficits, Public
debt & Exchange
rate stability

The Stability
and Growth Pact

In June 1997, the Amsterdam European Council adopted a
Stability and Growth Pact. This was a permanent commitment to budgetary
stability, and made it possible for penalties to be imposed on any country in
the euro area whose budget deficit exceeds 3% of GDP.

Macroeconomic convergence since 2007: the effects of
the crises

The 2008 financial crisis considerably increased
public debt in most EU countries. Having a common currency however protected
euro-area countries from competitive devaluation and from attack by
speculators. In 2010 the EU member states decided to set up a financial
stabilisation mechanism for the Euro area, providing €750B in funds from the member
states.

At the same time, the EU member states and
institutions brought provisions designed to strengthen the EU's economic
governance: prior discussion of national budget plans, monitoring national
economies and tightening the rules on competitiveness and reviewing the
sanctions to be applied if countries breach the financial rules. The EU is
having to take tougher action to ensure the member states manage their budgets
responsibly and support one another financially.

This is a way to ensure the euro remains credible as a
single currency and that the member states can, together, face the economic
challenges of globalisation.

The Commission has suggested
four possible scenarios for the future issuance or withdrawal of 1 and 2 euro
cent coins. These are largely focused on the cost-benefits of producing and
issuing the coins and the attitude of the general public towards the coins.

Status
quo

1 and 2 cent coins
continue to be issued under today's conditions, without changing the legal or
material context. They remain legal tender and continue to be produced with the
current technical specifications (such as metal, weight and size) and without changing
the production and issuance processes.

Issuance
at reduced costs

The coins continue to be
issued but issuance costs are reduced through changing the material composition
of the coins or by increasing the efficiency of the coin production, or both. This
would address the problem confronting most euro area Member States facing
losses as a result of issuance costs far exceeding the face value of the coins.

Quick
withdrawal

Under this scenario, the
issuance of these denominations ceases and the coins in circulation are
withdrawn, mainly through retailers and banks within a pre-established short
time period. Binding rounding rules would apply as of the first day of the
withdrawal period and the coins would cease to be legal tender at the end of
the withdrawal exercise.

Fading
out

The issuance of coins
would cease and binding rounding rules apply also under this scenario, the
coins would remain legal tender. They could still be used, but only for payment
of the rounded final sum. Since no new coins would be issued, they would be
expected to disappear gradually from circulation due to their high loss rate
and lack of attractiveness as convenient payment means.

A number of key
conclusions can be drawn from the stakeholder consultation and the analysis:

1. The production of 1 and 2 cent coins is clearly a
loss-making activity for the euro area with the difference between the face
value of the coins and the price paid by the state to get them pointing at an
estimated total cumulative loss of €1.4 billion since 2002.

2. The
attitude of the general public is rather mixed: while people are attached to
these small denominations and fear the risk of inflation if they were to
disappear, they handle these coins as non-value items and do not re-circulate
them in payment channels. The resulting high loss rate combined with the
existence of psychological prices leads to an ever-growing demand for issuance
of new small coins, which today represent nearly half of the coins in
circulation

3. While
the economics of issuing 1 and 2 euro cent coins would plead for discontinuing
issuance, cost elements need to be balanced against other considerations,
notably the negative reaction from the general public that rounding rules could
trigger.

The Commission's next step is to
continue further discussions with all the relevant stakeholders on the basis of
the four scenarios described. Should a clear preference emerge, the Commission
will come forward with the necessary legislative proposals.

LIFE+ Programme is the European Union's financial
instrument supporting environmental policy. Although there are other programmes
that relate to the environment, LIFE+ is the only EU funding programme that is
specifically and entirely dedicated to improving the environmental wellbeing of
the Community.

The current LIFE+ programme contains three main
strands, namely, Nature and Biodiversity, Environmental Policy and Governance,
and Information & Communication.

LIFE+ Nature and Biodiversity

This strand deals with best practices or
demonstration projects that contribute to the preservation of biodiversity and
to the implementation of the Birds and Habitats Directives. Funding depends on
the scope of the project together with the means proposed to meet its
objectives.

LIFE+ Environmental Policy and
Governance

The strand co-finances demonstration or
innovative projects that contribute to:

The implementation of Community environmental policy.

The
development of innovative policy approaches, technologies, methods and
instruments.

The
knowledge base as regards environment policy and legislation.

The
monitoring of environmental pressures.

The
strand carries a maximum co-financing rate of 50%.

LIFE+ Information & Communication

LIFE+ Information & Communication co-finances
projects that implement communication and awareness raising campaigns on
environmental, nature protection or biodiversity conservation issues, as well
as projects related to forest fire.

The strand also prioritises the dissemination of
information, raising awareness and the development of skills on environmental
matters. A maximum co-funding rate of 50% applies under this strand.

The current phase of the LIFE+ programme comes to an
end this year, and the call for proposals is open till 25 June 2013.

More information can be obtained from http://www.lifeplus.gov.mt

The national contact point for LIFE+ is the Tourism
and Sustainable Development Unit.

GRTU
President Paul Abela has called for action at last Friday`s  MCESD meeting dedicated to Access to Finance.
Mr Abela stated that though GRTU places regular pressure on banks in order to
better support enterprises, GRTU also supports local banks and is very pleased
with the strong banks we have.

Mr
Abela said that Access to Finance remains one of the biggest hurdles businesses
face on a daily basis and while we have been speaking at length on the topic
implementation has been much slower than desired. The approved Credit Guarantee
Scheme we hear has been stalled since June due to lengthy discussions with
banks with 700 applications kept pending and not a single loan has been
approved.

The
JEREMIE Scheme that worked so well has now come to an end and we do not have
another scheme ready in place because an application has not yet been
submitted. In order to avoid the gap we are currently experiencing preparations
should have been done beforehand as we know how long the process takes, we
should have learned this from the first experience we had with JEREMIE.

Access
to Finance cannot be time barred, we do not afford to have project held up because
the schemes that should facilitate finance are experiencing bureaucratic
delays. These schemes are most important to SMEs and impinge heavily on their
competitiveness. Compared to other EU firms micro and small Maltese enterprises
have no large sale volumes and therefore banking costs are not only too high in
absolute terms but also at cost pet unit sold.

The
GRTU President once again mentioned the immediate requirement to have the
interest rates for businesses revised as the rates were still too high and
prohibitive. The Governor of the Central Banks proposed the establishment of a
development bank as another institution that would complement the banks.

This
MCESD meeting was instigated after the strong comments on excessive bank
charges and bank interests on advance imposed by banks on micro and small
enterprises. GRTU had already demanded former Minister Tonio Fenech for a
report on the issue but the report produced by MFSA was never published and we
have no idea of what action MFSA had taken. Now again GRTU is asking for a
detailed analysis and comparative study with competing economies and a plan of
action to remedy the situation. This needs to be done over maximum of two
months.

In
order to ensure action the Minister for Finance Edward Scicluna gave assurance
that he is ready to form a restricted MCESD committee specifically on Access to
Finance to implement the proposals that have for so long been discussed. The
Minister also confirmed that the establishment of a Development Bank was in the
Labour Party's Electoral programme and therefore must be implemented.