MaltaToday previous editions

8 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 30 NOVEMBER 2022 KURT SANSONE MORE than 100 MEPs and 57 MPs from national parliaments are showing support for the Maltese government's decision to introduce life-saving changes to Malta's anti-abortion law. The initiative was taken by Labour MEP Cyrus Engerer and signatories include MEPs from the Socialists and Demo- crats, the Greens, the Left bloc and Renew. It also includes MPs from 14 different national parliaments. Only one MEP from the Euro- pean People's Party signed the letter, while Engerer was the only Maltese MEP to do so. In their letter, the signato- ries welcomed the proposed amendments to the Maltese Criminal Code, which will al- low for the termination of a pregnancy if a woman's life or health is at risk. "By amending legislation to ensure that women who must endure life-saving termina- tions are not prosecuted, Malta is taking a step in the right di- rection when it comes to pro- tecting the fundamental rights of women, and medical practi- tioners," the signatories said. They added that although the proposed law is still "insuffi- cient for ensuring women's full bodily autonomy", they de- scribed this as "an important moment for Malta, which will have great and lasting positive effects on Maltese women, Eu- rope and the world". The letter underscores that the European Parliament has long called for the right to abortion to be included in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. The signatories said they firmly believed that everyone has the right to a safe and legal abortion. Engerer said that the letter was a reaction to another let- ter penned over the weekend by three UK Conservative MPs and others from the House of Lords, who encouraged the Maltese parliament to reject the amendments. "I could not stand idle… I therefore asked my friends in the European Parliament to support the Maltese govern- ment's decision to give legal certainty to medical practition- ers to do all possible to save lives. I asked for 105 signatures and I am glad we managed to get a larger amount in just 10 hours not only from the Eu- ropean Parliament but also 14 different national Parliaments in member states, including British members of the House of Lords," Engerer said. Over 100 MEPs support Maltese government abortion amendments 108 MEPs and 57 MPs from 14 national parliaments support the Maltese government's abortion proposal currently before parliament The initiative was taken by Labour MEP Cyrus Engerer and signatories include MEPs from the Socialists and Democrats, the Greens, the Left bloc and Renew MATTHEW VELLA THE Labour MEP Alex Agi- us Saliba has successfully ob- tained an investigation by the EU Ombudsman into allegedly discriminatory practices by the European Commission. Agius Saliba said the investi- gation also deals with cases of discrimination against Maltese citizens applying for jobs with- in the European Commission office in Malta, and another case initiated by the Renouveau Democracie trade union into the way the Maltese language is treated during recruitment processes for institution em- ployees. "The delays for justice in Eu- ropean bureaucracy will not dissuade me. Malta and the Maltese are no less worthy than others," Agius Saliba said. Agius Saliba has previously protested the employment of a Latvian national who formerly served an EPP member of the European Parliament, selected over Maltese nationals to join the European Commission's delegation in Valletta, as Euro- pean Semester Officer. Agius Saliba said the candi- date was selected despite one of the job's requisites being the knowledge of the Maltese lan- guage. He complained with the EU's Commissioner Valdis Dom- brovskis that the Maltese were being treated as "second-class citizens". "It's an insult to Malta and the Maltese language that in a se- lection process for EC officials, Maltese applicants for the post were ignored and a Latvian candidate was selected when they do not know one word of Maltese, and could therefore not satisfy the criteria to have 'a good command in Maltese language' as requested in the EC's post," Agius Saliba said. The work of the European Se- mester Officer (ESO) in Malta focuses on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and the Euro- pean Semester. The successful candidate requires a very good expertise of the Commission policies and priorities and of the European economic gov- ernance system as well as very good analytical skills, required for the assessment of the im- plementation of the RRF. "The vacancy notice also mentioned the good command of Maltese as one of the rele- vant criteria. At the same time, both the analytical work and the discussions with Maltese authorities take place in Eng- lish," Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis told Agius Sali- ba, but said the EC promoted "a multinational profile of its teams." "Therefore, a significant number of ESOs and other staff in the Capitals are not na- tionals of the respective Mem- ber State... the vacancy notice mentioned various elements in terms of required expertise and qualifications, the command of the Maltese language being on- ly one of them... The selection has taken place on that basis," the Commissioner added. But Agius Saliba has blasted the reply. "It's just replete with empty excuses... coinciden- tally, Dombrovskis is Latvian himself, and belongs to the EPP political family just as selected candidate Martin Zemitis, who was the parliamentary assistant to EPP member Richard Piks." Agius Saliba took Dom- brovskis to task over claiming that even government depart- ments in Malta are able to communicate in English. "I'm sure the Commission would not have placed a Latvian who could not speak a French or German word in its member states' offices as it wants to do in Malta. Malta: EU Ombudsman inquiry into alleged discrimination

• Cover