Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1512001
15 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 22 NOVEMBER 2023 EWROPEJ These articles are part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. These articles reflect only the authors' view. The European Parliament is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains. Engerer report on primacy of EU law receives overwhelming cross-party support Casa resolution for €20 billion to fight child poverty receives Parliament backing MATTHEW VELLA AN overwhelming majority of MEPs voted in favour of a report drafted and negotiated by Labour MEP Cyrus Engerer (S&D) along with Estonian MEP Yana Toom (RENEW) on the functioning of the EU. The report recommends that the principle of primacy – a con- ceprt that asserts the primacy of EU laws over national laws that might contradict the Treaties – is included as an explicit conditoin in any forthcoming revision of the EU Treaties. "This is a vote on whether we agree with the very existence of the European Union," Enger- er said before the vote, noting that fascists in the EU and those backed by supporters of Russian president Vladimir Putin, were seeking to dismantle and destabi- lise the EU. "Imagine a European continent without the European Union. This is not a hypothetical scenar- io but a reality that fascists are working towards," Engerer said. "It is crucial that what we agreed upon when each of our coun- tries joins the European Union is cherished and protected because without what is fundamental – the European legal framework that applies equally to everyone – the European Union cannot function and survive." Primacy is a core principle of EU law, which has been developed over time by the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the EU: by integrating EU law into nation- al laws, as well as the spirit of the Treaty, it is impossible for mem- ber states to accord precedence to unilateral and subsequent meas- ures over a legal system accepted by them on a basis of reciprocity. The concept of primacy means that in case of a conflict between EU and national laws, member states are obliged not to apply na- tional law that is contrary to EU law, or otherwise obliged to in- terpret national law in conformity with EU law. Despite this long-standing and well-established case-law, the pri- macy of EU law is not enshrined in the Treaties. It was foreseen in the now abandoned EU Constitution, and then adopted as a Declaration annexed to the Lisbon Treaty. However, rapporteurs Cyrus En- gerer and Yana Toom said that in order to ensure the respect of the principle of primacy of EU law, it is essential to change its legal sta- tus. "The codification of the prin- ciple in primary law could con- tribute to clarify the relationship between EU and the national legal orders and mitigate conflicts," the MEPs said. After the vote, Engerer thanked all democratic parties – EPP, S&D, Renew Europe, Liberals, and Greens – who strongly voted in fa- vour of a report that forms the ba- sis of all that the Union stands on. "Far-right extremists who vot- ed against this report believe that Europe should not exist, and to- day showed their preference for discord and isolation over unity, peace, freedom and prosperity," Engerer said. "As a citizen of the smallest Member State and a Labour MEP, I will continue to push forward our conviction in the European project," he said. THE European Parliament has adopted with a strong majority a resolution geared at strengthening the Child Guarantee, two years on from its adoption. Nationalist MEP David Casa, a long-time supporter of the European Child Guarantee, led negotiations on behalf of the EPP Group. The resolution called for an urgent increase in funding to combat child poverty, with a ded- icated budget of €20 billion by 2027 through a budgetary revision and a reinforcement of the multi-billion European Social Fund+, which Casa negotiated on behalf of the European Parliament earlier this mandate. "The European Parliament has made this call on a numerous occasions, numerous resolu- tions have been passed, a majority of the Par- liament supports this increase. Yet, once again, the Commission failed to include this call in the mid-term revision of the multi-annual fi- nancial framework," Casa stressed. The resolution urged governments to im- prove the quality of their National Action Plans, through which measures are targeted to address child poverty. "Collecting and sharing of data remains one of the obstacles for the better implementation of the Child Guarantee," Casa stated. "We need to ensure that the best practices are shared and streamlined among Member States." The resolution re-iterates the importance of tackling poverty through a holistic approach, to ensure better nutrition, for instance through hot meals in schools, better access to educa- tion and healthcare, and housing. In his address to plenary yesterday, Casa turned the Parliament's attention to the vul- nerability of children, who also suffered the ef- fects of global crises but were worst equipped to handle them. "Poverty is something children inherit," Ca- sa declared. "Our society will not be fair for as long as there are still children who are hungry. There is still a great deal of work to be done." Nationalist MEP David Casa Labour MEP Cyrus Engerer