Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1518068
10 OPINION maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 27 MARCH 2024 WE joined the EU to improve our standard of living and adopt higher standards on con- sumer protection, the environ- ment and safety. In fact, the EU has the highest standards in the world in all these areas. So, we should have the high- est water quality standards, right? Not really. The people of Xgħajra don't benefit from EU standards. They have to con- tend with sewage bubbling out a few hundred metres out at sea as will those who get skin rash- es and infections while swim- ming in the area. Being in the EU, we should have the safest building regula- tions, right? Not really for Jean Paul Sofia and Miriam Pace who lost their lives due to neg- ligence on all fronts, including on the part of the authorities who failed to implement the EU CE marking rules for bricks and other construction prod- ucts. I worked in the EU for the last 21 years. Europe is a fascinat- ing force for the good of our citizens. But it's useless having a mountain of laws in theory when you don't find them pro- tecting you in practice. The EU encompasses more than just opportunities and funds; it also upholds rights and standards that ensure a high quality of life for all citi- zens. During encounters on the streets, home visits, or market visits, people often express their concerns to me about the EU's tolerance of the govern- ment's wrongdoing. The reality is that in several cases shared with me, the EU has established standards and enacted laws to safeguard its citizens, yet these are not consistently enforced in Malta by the government and its authorities. A prime example is the appli- cation of CE marking. When a product bears a CE mark, it sig- nifies compliance with health, safety, and environmental pro- tection requirements necessary for sale within the European Economic Area (EEA). Many bricks and concrete products manufactured in Malta fail to meet EU safety standards be- cause the government has ne- glected to enforce CE marking regulations in the construction industry. This issue prompted me to provide information to the board of the public inquiry investigating the death of Jean Paul Sofia. I welcome the in- quiry's recommendation for the consumer authority to take proactive measures to ensure that construction materials placed on the market adhere to CE markings. But it is now the government's responsibility to ensure that national authori- ties (led by its appointees) fulfil their duties. Another example pertains to the government's failure to ad- here to EU standards regarding sewage treatment. In recent months, there have been nu- merous reports of sewage dis- charge into the sea. In 2022, the European Commission initiated legal action against Malta for dumping sewage into the sea. Last summer, several beaches, including Qui Si Sana, Fond Għadir, Tigne, Balluta, St George's Bay, Buġibba, and Birżebbuġa, were closed due to contamination. Just last week, I shared footage on my Facebook page showing sewage observed off the coast of Xagħra. Despite the government's statements that most of Malta's bathing waters are 'excellent', the situ- ation on the ground indicates a rise in beaches with poor water quality. According to EU law, Malta is bound to treat all ur- ban and rural drainage before discharge. We are evidently breaking EU rules daily. This is why I asked the Auditor Gener- al to investigate the matter and conduct a performance audit. It is unacceptable for Malta to have invested €60 million of EU funds in sewage treatment in recent years but raw human waste continues to end up at sea! A third example in a long list of paper tigers, concerns the independence of public media. On several occasions, PBS has been found to be partial, with Television Malta censoring significant news items that are damning on the government or views that criticise the gov- ernment. An analysis revealed that for every comment from the Opposition Nationalist Party (PN), PBS broadcast 13 comments from the governing Labour Party (PL). This goes against the public interest and the right to be informed. Under the European Media Freedom Protection Act, the head and the governing board of TVM should be appointed in a trans- parent, open, and non-discrim- inatory manner. TVM should also provide a plurality of in- formation and opinions, in an impartial manner. What sense does it make to have Minister Owen Bonnici going to Brus- sels to welcome the Europe- an Media Freedom Act but in Malta his own government does exactly the opposite! We joined Europe to secure higher standards in govern- ance, democracy and quality of life. Instead, due to incompe- tence and lack of political will, government is breaching most Highest EU standards... only on paper Peter Agius is a PN MEP election candidate Peter Agius The EU has the highest standards in the world for consumer protection, the environment and safety