Category: Archive – 2012

GRTU's Director General and EESC
Employer's representative Vincent Farrugia has today presented, as keynote
speaker, the EESC Opinion which he drafted as rapporteur on tackling
cross-border inheritance tax obstacles within the EU. The presentation took
place today during the conference entitled Tackling cross-border IHT problems
as an expert's response to the Commission's proposal. The invitation came by
the Commission because it "highly appreciated your work as rapporteur for the
opinion on inheritance tax…we would be honoured if you would present the
opinion and its main conclusions".

The number of EU citizens moving
between Member States (MS) increased from 3 million in 2005 to 12.3 million in
2010, and cross-border real estate ownership in the EU increased by up to 50%.
EU citizens who inherit assets across national MS borders are frequently faced
with taxation in two or more different MS (i.e. double or multipletaxation) and
tax discrimination. In an attempt to address these problems, the Commission
presented a Communication in 2011 and an accompanying Recommendation.

The EESC is in favour of removing
such obstacles, and welcomes the Commission's approach. The EESC however
suggests more effective measures to achieve the 
final aims. It proposes practical mechanisms that would ensure the
efficient interfacing of national tax systems while encouraging MS to operate
double/multiple taxation relief mechanisms in a more effective and flexible
manner. It encourages the Commission to look into the distortionary effects
arising from differences in the computation of the inheritance tax base by
different national tax jurisdictions, by setting common principles based on
fair net asset valuations and which safeguard the business entity unit.

The Opinion calls for actively
promoting more effective, efficient and citizen-friendly taxation systems, with
the least possible burden. Finally the EESC Opinion calls on the creation of an
EU Taxation Observatory that would contribute to the more effective resolution
of inheritance tax obstacles on an ongoing basis through research and
investigations and provide fora for consultation, collaboration and agreement
between different national tax jurisdictions.

At its 483rd plenary session, held on
18 September 2012, the EESC adopted the opinion by 135 votes to 1 with 11
abstentions. This is one of 4 Opinions adopted as EESC which were drafted by
Vince Farrugia as rapporteur. It was then published in the official journal of
the EU. 

Other keynote speakers included
Algirdas Semeta, European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union as well
as the Director and other representatives from DG TAXUD.

According to the Commission's autumn economic forecast, the
short-term outlook for the EU economy remains fragile, but a gradual return to
GDP growth is projected for 2013, with further strengthening in 2014. The
figures released on 7 November show GDP contracting on an annual basis by 0.3%
in the EU and 0.4% in the euro area in 2012. GDP growth for 2013 is projected
at 0.4% in the EU and 0.1% in the euro area. Unemployment in the EU is expected
to remain very high.

The full forecast and the country specific forecast is
available at:

http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/eu/forecasts/2012_autumn_forecast_en.htm

GRTU
would like to know about any difficulties you may have encountered in the
penetration of the US market and the existence of non-tariff barriers (NTBs)?
We would really appreciate your feedback by Thursday 15th November 2012.

Contact
Abigail Mamo at

Parliament's president Martin Schulz
has joined in a chorus of congratulations on Barack Obama re-election as US
president. Obama was looking forward to another term in office after his
close-run victory over Republican Mitt Romney. In a statement on Wednesday, Schulz,
a German deputy, said, "The EU and the US are the world's closest allies –
our partnership is based on a wide range of common values and shared
interests."

"Members of Congress and of
parliament must be brought together to ensure the best possible legislation for
both sides of the Atlantic. Parliament is strongly committed to deepening this
relationship, not only at executive-to-executive level, but in the daily
business of our two legislatures."

The British Tory added, "One of
the EU's first priorities must be to open formal negotiations towards a
transatlantic trade deal, and it must be prepared to go that extra mile to get
agreement.

"The EU must ensure that the
United States does not turn its economic and geopolitical attention towards the
Pacific, at our expense."

Edison added, "The recovering
strength of the US economy shows that Obama's policies have put the country on
the right course while his historic reform of the healthcare system underlines
his commitment to social justice and equality for all Americans. "There is
still a lot to be done, but I am sure that we will continue to see
progress."

In a statement, the think tank said,
"Chronically high US unemployment and his overwhelming support among
Europeans places the president in a strong position on both sides of the ocean
to push for a trans-Atlantic free trade agreement (TAFTA). Such a move would
require little political capital.

"Europe's recent moves towards
implementing policies that provide greater balance between austerity and growth
closely align with the president's position. His new administration is likely
to continue emphasising the need for economic expansion and greater consumption
at home and abroad.

"Obama will find among European
leaders many allies for his approach, but it could cause friction in
German-American relations."

The European Commission has published
a Communication setting out its action plan for online gambling. A series of
initiatives over the next two years will address key areas including compliance
of national regulatory frameworks with EU law; improvements in administrative
cooperation and efficient enforcement; the protection of consumers and
citizens, minors and vulnerable groups; and the prevention of fraud and money
laundering. Online gambling is one of the fastest growing service activities in
the EU, with annual growth rates of almost 15% and an estimated €13 billion in
annual revenues in 2015.

Invitation for an information session for Maltese Stakeholders – On 21 and 22 May 2013, Malta will be
hosting the European Maritime Day conference, held at the Mediterranean
Conference Centre in Valletta.The European Maritime Day is
celebrated each year on 20 May since 2008. (This annual event was established
jointly by the European Council, the European Parliament and European Commission
as part of the EU's Integrated Maritime Policy launched in 2007.)

Public events will be organised on
Sunday 19th and Monday 20th of May. It is planned to organise a broad range of
activities to show, promote, discuss and celebrate the value of long standing
maritime tradition in our islands as well as various policies related to the
seas and coasts.

The EMD
2013 CONFERENCE

The main theme of the European
Maritime Day 2013 Conference will focus on sustainable coastal and maritime
tourism in the wider context of Blue Growth. It will be an occasion to reflect,
at high level, on how to make Blue Growth happen through sustainable tourism,
connectivity and coastal management. A special focus will be made on the
Mediterranean Region.

The European Maritime Day Conference
is spread over two days.  The first day
(the Political Day) is dedicated to plenary sessions and high-level discussions.  The second day is Stakeholders' Day and
consists of a series of workshops organised by stakeholders themselves on
topics related to the EU's integrated maritime policy. In addition stakeholders
can put up stands in an exhibition area at the conference venue.

The conference is a very good
opportunity to network with other maritime stakeholders not only at a local
level but also at EU level.  It is an
excellent opportunity to capture market exposure and to exchange experience and
knowledge in a highly stimulating environment.  

INFORMATION
SESSION

Stakeholders can participate in the
EMD in a number of ways.  Further details
will be provided in an Information Session for Maltese Stakeholders to be
purposely held on Monday, 12th November 2012 to. 

The EMD Stakeholder Information
Session is being conjointly organized by the Maltese authorities (the Ministry
for Infrastructure, Transport and Communication, the Ministry for Tourism,
Culture and Environment), the European Commission (Directorate General for Maritime
Affairs and Fisheries), and the Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee

Commissioner
for Climate Action Connie Hedgegaard talks about the aim behind the EU's pan
European awareness campaign 'A world you like. With a climate you like' – What is this campaign about? It is about creating a world that
we'd all like to live in. To get that, we need to deal with the climate
challenge. With this campaign we want to provide the positive vision that
motivates people and put focus on the existing solutions to climate change –
which need greater take-up by all of us.

Yes, across Europe we see an
increasing number of people getting concerned about the climate challenge. No
wonder! With daily reports about record CO₂ emissions, record ice
melts, record droughts, record rainfalls, record food prices.

Don't you think people are more pre-occupied with the economic crisis?

No, and it is not an either or. Most
people realise that the climate challenge didn't disappear just because we got busy
handling the economic crisis. And, yet, despite the growing awareness – many
people in many countries do very little themselves to take action. Many don't
even do the things that would save them time and money. One of the main points
of this campaign is actually to say: We need to fix the economy AND the climate
at the same time.

What is it you want people to do?

A simple example: turning down the
heating by just one degree can reduce your annual bill by 5-10% and it
contributes to fighting climate change. Why would people not be interested to
do that? It saves them money. And it helps reduce CO2-pollution. The same goes
for taking the bike to work. People in big European cities easily spend eight
full days a year in their car being stuck in traffic. By taking the bike you
save money. You save time. You save CO₂. You even save your body
around four kilos of fat per year. Seriously: what's not to like?

How will you get the message across?

We try to make it concrete and
tangible what people can do. And we show where they will actually improve their
quality of life by doing the right thing for the climate. But this campaign is
also about listening. If people aren't doing this already, it is perhaps
because they don't yet know or because some barriers are holding them back. We
need to know more about what's holding them back in order to discuss with
Member States how to remove these barriers. 

Will changing habits matter at all?

It DOES matter. It means the world,
actually. By 2020, we could reduce CO₂ pollution by an amount that
corresponds to the combined annual emissions of Ireland, France, Finland,
Belgium and Portugal if all 500 million Europeans changed habits in areas such
as eating, shopping, transport and heating. Each day, each citizen makes a lot of
choices. Whether these are sustainable or not actually matters.

Why should this campaign succeed in doing what other campaigns haven't
achieved?

First of all many countries in the EU
have not had that many campaigns – for instance in Southern Europe and the new
member states. So we focus on these. Second, we take a new approach by working
systematically with partners that help us spread the message. More than 75
organisations from all Member States had already signed up as official partners
on the first day of the campaign – business associations, NGOs, universities
and government institutions. And campaigns actually can change behaviour. When
I was a minister we did something similar. After the campaign had run for some
years, more than 90% of the population had heard of it. And more than half said
it had made them change habits.

The
European Commission is one of the 7 institutions of the EU. It
has a quasi-exclusive right to propose EU legislation, implements the EU's
decisions and policies, manages the EU budget and is often referred to as the
‘Guardian of the Treaties'

The
Commission operates in a manner similar to that of a cabinet government having
collective responsibility with 27 Members (informally known as Commissioners),
one from each EU Member State, appointed for a 5-year term

They
do not represent their country of origin and are prohibited from seeking or
taking instructions from any Government or other institution, body, office or
entity

The
European Parliament may vote on a motion of censure of the Commission. If such
a motion is carried out, the members of the Commission shall resign as a body

The
current President of the Commission is the former Prime Minister of Portugal,
José Manuel Durão Barroso, who is currently serving his second term in office

The
European Commission operates primarily from the Berlaymont building and various
other buildings in Brussels and is divided into departments known as Directorate
Generals (DGs) and Services

Each
DG covers a specific policy area or service such as trade or environment, and
is headed by a Director-General who reports to a Commissioner

There
are 43 DGs in the present Commission, with a staff complement of 33,033, of
whom 154 are Maltese

The
Commission has a Representative Office in Malta situated at Dar l-Ewropa, 254,
St Paul's Street, Valletta. Martin Bugelli was appointed Head of Representation
in May 2011

Info:
MEUSAC News

Article 246 of the Treaty on the
Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) states that a vacancy in the
Commission shall be filled for the remainder of the Member's term of office by
a new Member of the same nationality appointed by the Council, by common accord
with the President of the Commission, after consulting the European Parliament
(EP) and in accordance with the criteria set out in the Treaty on European
Union (TEU).

The EP's Rules of Procedure lay down
that the Commissioner-designate is to appear before the appropriate committees
according to his or her prospective fields of responsibility. These hearings
are held in public. In the case of Dr Borg, the relevant EP committees are
those on the Environment, Public Health and Food  Safety (ENVI); Internal Market and Consumer
Protection (IMCO); and Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI). There will be
only one joint hearing.

The committees invite the Commissioner-designate
to make a statement and answer questions. The hearing is organised in such a
way as to enable the Commissioner designate to disclose to Parliament all
relevant information. Provisions relating to the organisation of the hearings
are laid down in an annex to the Rules of Procedure.

Parliament evaluates
Commissioners-designate on the basis of their general competence, European
commitment, personal independence, knowledge of the prospective portfolio, and
their communication skills. 

The public hearing has been scheduled
for November 13.

Once the hearing is over, the
committee members must deliberate and send a joint evaluation to the Conference
of Presidents of the EP which consists of the EP President and the
representatives of the political groups who will then discuss the conclusions.

The new Commissioner is then
appointed by the European Council acting by a qualified majority. Members of
the Commission are normally appointed for a five-year term that may be renewed.
If Dr Borg is appointed Commissioner, he will serve for the rest of the term of
the current Commission i.e. up to 2014.