Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1512911
Cyrus Engerer Josianne Cutajar Cyrus Engerer is a Labour MEP part of the S&D Group Josianne Cutajar is a Labour MEP part of the S&D Group 12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 DECEMBER 2023 OPINION IMAGINE our continent without the unifying force of the European Union. When I say 'the unifying force', I am not referring to some super power, or mag- ical knot. This unifying force is nothing but the legal framework of the European Union, particularly the Principle of Pri- macy of Union Law that creates a legal framework that binds us together and ascertains that everything remains func- tioning. Truth be told, an EU without this unify- ing force is not at all a mere hypothetical scenario - it is not news that with every passing day, there is an increase of actors both within and outside of our Union, attempting to dismantle this beautiful project that our fore parents dreamed of, built and which we have now been entrusted with by citizens. This trust brings with it a huge responsibility. Spe- cifically, the responsibility to protect and strengthen the European project in a way which benefits all Member States and all European citizens and residents. This is where the importance of own-initiative reports like the one I was entrusted with, lies. We believe that pre- serving the functionality, cohesion, and consistency of our Union is non-negotia- ble. This is why we have initiated recom- mendations to strengthen the Union's legal order through this own initiative report. We wanted to make it clear that the European Parliament is unwavering in its commitment to uphold the rule of law and ensure a uniform legal frame- work across all Member States. Through this report, we also want to ensure that the European legal order is fully respect- ed and that all Member States, present and future, sign up for this wholeheart- edly. Why present and future? Because while it is crucial to remind the current Member States about what we signed up for, it is just as important to ensure that candidate countries which will inevita- bly form part of the next European Un- ion enlargement, are aware and ready to commit to these constituting principles right from the get-go. This coming year we will be celebrat- ing the 20th anniversary since Malta joined the European Union. It feels like as if it were only yesterday, that we were going from one locality to the other, speaking about our values and how Un- ion membership was going to open up more opportunities and strengthen our freedoms. After all, we come together because of our shared values, and in the face of the growing challenges, our strength lies in staying united notwithstanding the di- versity within us. This is what we sought to put into the text of this report - the heart of our cohesion, the rule of law and the good functioning of our legal frame- work, which after all - all of our Member States agreed to when we decided to join this beautiful project of ours. Some have asked why should we even work on this report, knowing that the Principle of Primacy of Union Law is a given, an obvious thing - without which our Union wouldn't even exist. Well, except those on the far right. The final vote in favour of this Report sent a clear message: We value our European project. We want to see it strengthened. If we dis- mantle what is fundamental, and what holds us together legally, then unfortu- nately, our Union would cease to exist. I am glad to see that our work was ap- proved by all democratic parties in the European Parliament, from left to right, and now look forward to the implemen- tation of our recommendations. FROM the beginning of my mandate in the European Parliament, I have been ambitious, consistent, and dependable, in my mission to ensure the needs of is- land communities, like those of Malta and Gozo, are made loud and clear on the EU negotiating table. This European Parliament's legislature was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, new wars in Ukraine and now in the Mid- dle East and related impacts on inflation and the energy market. In spite of these challenges, not only was work on the am- bitious set of proposals to kick-start the Green and Digital twin transition never forgotten, but the importance of fostering a resilient EU only became more urgent for EU policymakers. As a member of the Socialist and Dem- ocrats Group, I actively worked towards achieving the twin transition; the vision of Europe as the first climate neutral conti- nent as stipulated in the European Green Deal, and the power of digitalisation as a catalyst for economic competitive- ness and social inclusion. Furthermore, I have remained steadfast in my belief in a just transition that leaves no one be- hind, irrespective of the socio-economic background and the region one is com- ing from. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Through my work in the Committee for Regional Affairs, and as Vice Chair of the Parliamentary Intergroup for Seas, Riv- ers, Islands and Coastal Areas (SEArica), I defended the interests of island regions. To this end I also was the Socialists' ne- gotiator in the European Parliament's Is- lands and Cohesion Policy Report, which recognises insularity as a permanent and structural challenge. Be it due to geo- graphic barriers and additional costs due to lack of seamless connectivity or the fact that islands are on the frontline of the cli- mate crisis, the report that I helped draw up actively pressures the European Com- mission to table a holistic Islands Pact and to make island mainstreaming a reality. I recently participated in the General Assemblies of two leading stakeholder organisations: CPMR, an umbrella or- ganisation bringing together Europe's Peripheral Maritime Regions, and IN- SULEUR, which represents the various Chambers of Commerce from insular regions in the EU. It is during events like these that a lot of important work is done towards building an EU that better supports island regions. Among the key priorities there are the upgrading of islands' critical infrastruc- ture to face ever-worsening climate ef- fects, ensuring that island SMEs are sup- ported to effectively compete in a Single Market defined by the twin transitions' new realities and in seeing that the next iteration of the Cohesion Policy does not only allocate funds based on indicators like GDP-per-capita, but also takes into account other metrics such as a region's insularity. I am committed to regional equity, which is why I helped secure a key dero- gation from the Fuel EU Maritime Regu- lation that gives passenger ships berthing in ports like that of Mgarr, Gozo, more flexibility in implementing targets on the use of sustainable fuel. This is a tangible recognition of the essential nature ferry travel plays for small islands. Equitable, physical, economic, and digi- tal connectivity between islands like Mal- ta and Gozo to the Union mainland are not a luxury but a necessity; freedom of movement is our fundamental right as EU citizens. When I started off in Brus- sels' vast political labyrinth I committed myself to be a strong and reliable voice for the interests of island communities like our own. I reiterate that comment once more. A force to be reckoned with A voice for island communities socialistsanddemocrats.eu/ As a member of the Socialist and Democrats Group, I actively worked towards achieving the twin transition; the vision of Europe as the first climate neutral continent as stipulated in the European Green Deal, and the power of digitalisation as a catalyst for economic competitiveness and social inclusion