Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1105939
18.04.19 3 NEWS EUROPE should not try to es- tablish a regime in Libya that "it likes" but support forces within the country willing to end the instability, Alfred Sant said. e former Maltese prime minister cautioned against for- eign interference, which he blamed for the "anarchic situa- tion" that prevails in the north African state. But the Labour MEP insisted Europe must ensure that Libya does not end up as "a foyer for terrorism". Addressing the European Parliament plenary, Sant urged Europeans to demonstrate that their major interest in Libya was the welfare of the Libyan people not oil. "For Europe, what is essen- tial should be that Libya does not end up as a foyer for ter- rorism… we should support all efforts undertaken in good faith to allow all forces in Libya that represent genuine interests to have voice and reach," Sant said. However, he also warned that Europe must challenge the pa- ralysis that is prevailing in how the Libyan people are proceed- ing to establish national institu- tions. "Our support should go to those forces which are ready to unite in order to contain the ex- isting anarchy, provide security to the Libyan people and move the country towards the stabili- ty that is essential if Libyan soci- ety is to function normally," the Labour MEP said. Fighting in Libya has escalat- ed over the past two weeks as forces under the command of General Khalifa Haftar moved on Tripoli. e World Health Organisa- tion yesterday said the recent attacks on the outskirts of the Libyan capital have claimed the lives of 147 people and injured 614. ousands have been dis- placed. Sant told fellow MEPs that Libyans needed stability. "With stability, someday, later or soon- er, peace and democracy might take root. Without stability, this will not happen." Haftar has so far ignored calls by the EU and others in the in- ternational community to stop his war on Tripoli. e UN-backed Government of National Accord led by Fayez Serraj is based in Tripoli but de- pends on fragmented militias to enforce security on the little ter- ritory where it holds sway. Haftar is allied with a rival ad- ministration based in the east- ern city of Tobruk. e war on Tripoli started on the day that UN secretary gen- eral Antonio Guterres was in Libya to conclude preparations for a national peace conference that was scheduled to be held this week. e conference was called off as a result of the cur- rent turmoil. Libya has been riven by in- fighting since the downfall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Alfred Sant sounds warning on Libya Labour MEP Alfred Sant says Europe must ensure Libya does not end up a 'foyer for terrorism' NEW EU regulations will pro- mote fairness and transparen- cy for businesses using digital platforms to reach clients, Francis Zammit Dimech said. e Nationalist Party MEP, who negotiated the new rules, said they will safeguard businesses while ensuring customers will have a wider choice and better value deals. Zammit Dimech was speak- ing during a debate at the Eu- ropean Parliament. He explained that business- es, especially small ones, were becoming more dependent on online platforms to reach their customers. "In this regard, it is crucial for platforms to be run in a fair and transparent manner, in the way they deal with busi- nesses to ensure fair competi- tion," the PN MEP said. Zammit Dimech, who served as the rapporteur in the Committee on Legal Af- fairs, said that businesses were asking the EU to support the tourism sector. He said that this regula- tion will address this matter as well, since data collected through platforms as a re- sult of commercial activity of business users, is to be made available to the respective business. is is crucial for the hospi- tality sector and will ensure a better service and facilitate targeted marketing. Whilst thanking the Malta Business Bureau for their con- tribution, Zammit Dimech referred to their manifesto for the 2019 European election and the next EU mandate, saying that among other is- sues, MBB outlined the need to press ahead with more necessary reforms and im- plement policies that create a fair and competitive business environment, facilitate digital transformation, and continue investing in innovation. He said that, as he did with tax issues, and with regard to the regulation concerning the pharmaceutical sector, he will continue to safeguard the in- terests and competitiveness of Malta's business sector and jobs. EU law helps SMEs reach online customers FROM PAGE 1 A Labour administration will be finishing what a Nationalist administration had started—the project was originally the brain- child of former PN minister Chris Said. Said said Gozo's accessibili- ty is the lifeline of Gozo since "Gozitans depend exclusively on the accessibility of Gozo through Malta." He said the tunnel project mo- tion was a positive thing, an ef- fort to finally reach consensus between the two major parties so the permanent link between Malta and Gozo can be made a reality. He argued that both the PN and the PL had the political commitment to complete this project, referring to a 2011 study by Mott MacDonald and com- missioned by Transport Malta that concluded that a tunnel would be far more feasible than a bridge between the two islands. He appealed to the government to not shy away from publishing all reports and assessments re- lated to the project and to carry on with a wide consultation. He then submitted a number of amendments to the motion, namely to ensure that all publi- cations in terms of the project should be made available to the public and to mitigate the cur- rent connectivity problems be- tween the island until the project is completed. PN MP Frederick Azzopardi was the most critical of how the government had handled the project. He criticised the gov- ernment for not encouraging public participation on the Mal- ta-Gozo tunnel. "In April of 2016, Joseph Mus- cat assured us that the environ- mental aspect would be given due attention with respect to the tunnel," he said. "But the govern- ment closed any form of dicus- sion, telling 13 NGOs that the Gozo tunnel will take place, even though no studies had been pub- lished. An agreement between the two major parties should never take precedence over sci- entific studies." Parliamentary Secretary for EU funds Aaron Farrugia as- sured the Nationalist Party that all studies would be published in due time. "Irrespective of what happens today," he said, "both sides of the house need to ascertain that the development around the area is sustainable and that Gozo doesn't become a block of con- crete." "I wouldn't say that this is a na- tional project. e Gozo tunnel is a European project because it ultimately connects the island to the rest of Europe," he said. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that despite some scepti- cism among some PN MPs, the agreement between the two ma- jor parties was obvious. "is project is epochal, the largest infrastructural project in the history of this country, but this is not just an instance of an infrastructural project but an instance of political credibility since the project was agreed upon in each par- ty's electoral manifesto," Mus- cat said. On the issue of land reclama- tion, Muscat argued that the country had already experiment- ed in this area: in Msida and the Freeport among other areas. He ascertained that the Environ- ment and Resources Authority is currently carring out feasibility studies on land reclamation and that he had no doubt this would be discussed in parliament even- tually. Opposition Leader Adrian De- lia said that he hoped that the so- cial fabric of an entire communi- ty doesn't get eroded for the sake of development. "When you have a project of this size, its fundamental that all publications related to the pro- ject are made available to who- ever is in charge of safeguarding the interest of the people" Delia said, adding that these publica- tions should be made available before decisions are taken. Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg confirmed that the studies will be published in the coming days. e government's move to submit the Gozo tunnel project as a parliamentary motion could have been interpreted as the government's initiative to rope in the Opposition to back the contentious development. e motion recognised the challenges the project is expect- ed to create in terms of waste generated by the digging and the need to preserve Gozo's natural beauty and its cultural identity. Studies on the proposed tunnel that will have entrances at Nadur in Gozo and l-Imbordin in Mal- ta said the project is expected to generate one million cubic me- tres of waste. e Transport Ministry has also hinted that it would be im- possible to integrate the tunnel into a national underground sys- tem. Tunnel project 'epochal', the largest in Malta's history, PM says