The importance of connectivity – by air, sea and through energy infrastructure – was the dominant theme of three days of meetings held in Malta and Gozo by a European Parliament Delegation from the Transport and Tourism (TRAN) Committee.
MEPs Mr Virginijus Sinkevicius (Greens, LT), Ms Nina Carberry (EPP, IE), Ms Elena Nevado Del Campo (EPP, ES), Mr Sergio Goncalves (S&D, PT), Mr Daniel Attard (S&D, MT) and Mr Arash Saeidi (The Left, FR) met with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Ministers for Transport and for Gozo, and MPs from both sides of the House.
They had the opportunity to hear directly from stakeholders about the challenges Malta and Gozo face in these sectors as they seek to become more sustainable.
“The most important aspect for the delegation was to listen to the issues brought up by stakeholders. One recurrent issue is that Malta has become a victim of its own success, with its infrastructure not able to cope with the increase of population and of tourists on the islands, which brings several challenges,” TRAN Committee Vice-Chair and head of delegation Mr Sinkevicius said.
He added that, “on top of that, ministers but also stakeholders raised the issues of implementing certain EU provisions such as the Mobility Package which clearly impacts business interests, but also goes against the interest of the Green Deal as the operators have to return empty trucks to the mainland, which does not make any sense.”
The EU Emissions Trading System was raised in several of the exchanges. “It already poses certain challenges to Malta, and in these vulnerable circumstances, we have to listen very carefully and take decisions,” noted MEP Sinkevi?ius, speaking at the end of the visit.
Earlier, on Monday, the Delegation met the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Chris Bonnet as well as representatives from Transport Malta and the Malta Tourism Authority. They also visited EU-funded infrastructural projects such as the Marsa and Luqa junctions and the Shore-to-Ship power facility in the Grand Harbour.
In Gozo the MEPs met with Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri, the Gozo Regional Development Authority and the Gozo Tourism Association. The latter both highlighted the importance of investment in the ferry services and other means of transport, as well as finding a balance in tourism and overcoming seasonality in the specific context of the double insularity.
Representative bodies put forward a number of concerns and proposals. The Malta Hotel and Restaurants Association (MHRA) pointed out the need for better regulation of online booking platforms with significant impact on the market, while the Association of Tractor and Trailer Operators (ATTO), whose members handle the majority of imports onto the islands, raised concern about the impact of EU legislation on their operations.
The exchange with KM Malta Airlines’ management focused particularly on regulatory and compliance aspects faced by the airline, especially related to sustainability requirements.
The delegation’s visit concluded on Wednesday with a press conference addressed by Mr Sinkevicius at Europe House.
Photos: European Parliament Office in Malta – Meeting with Gozo Minister and on the Gozo Channel Ferry