Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/779073
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 29 JANUARY 2017 EU Summit 9 DR. VANNI XUEREB M arch 25 will mark the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome. In fact, two treaties were signed on that day – one setting up the European Economic Community and the other setting up the European Atomic Energy Community, better known as Euratom. The first 'European Community' to have been set up was the Coal and Steel Community by virtue of the treaty signed in Paris in 1951. It was in 1993, following the Treaty of Maastricht signed on February 7, 1992 – almost twenty five years to date - that the European Communities started to be called the 'European Union'. When in 1950, the then Foreign Minister of France, Robert Schuman, called for the setting up of a coal and steel community, he had made it very clear that he was envisaging this as "the first concrete foundation of a European federation indispensable to the preser- vation of peace". The European project was fundamentally conceived as one that would make war among European states "unthinkable" and "materially impossible". The EU now finds itself at a crucial and critical moment with the many challenges that it faces. For the first time in its history, a Member State will be requesting to leave the Union. Elec- tions that will take place this year in the Netherlands, France and Germany and possibly also in Italy, may give rise to a political scenario where other Member States start questioning or attempting to re-align their position within the Un- ion. Moreover, the EU now has to deal with an inward looking administration in Washington that may also alter the traditionally strong ties on the two sides of the Atlantic. This is the scenario that EU Heads of State or Government will have to face up to when they convene in Malta this Friday. Meeting in Bratislava last September to take stock of the situa- tion created by the result of the UK referendum, the Heads of State or Government of the 27 Member States (all excluding the UK Prime Minis- ter) agreed on a work programme – the Bratislava roadmap – that addresses the challenges the EU faces. These include migration and the EU's external borders, internal and external security, economic and social develop- ment and youth unemployment. Leaders also agreed to reconvene in Malta for the summit that will take place on February 3. Apart from serving as a follow up to the Bratislava summit, the Valletta meeting will also serve as a preparation for the high level meeting that will take place in Rome in March to mark the 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaties. In Rome, the Heads of State or Government are expected "to round off the process launched in Bratislava, and set out orientations for our common future together." The informal summit in Malta will consist of two parts since, although ini- tially intended as a summit of the EU27, the first half of the day will now consist of a meeting of the EU28 during which Heads of State or Government, includ- ing UK Prime Minister Theresa May, will be discussing the external dimen- sion of migration. They are expected to focus their discussions on the Central Mediterranean route and Libya. The UK will not participate in the afternoon session during which the EU27 leaders resume their preparations for the Rome summit. On the migration issue, the priority of the EU remains that of establish- ing "an effective, humanitarian and safe European migration policy". The key elements of such a policy would be: preventing illegal migration flows, addressing urgent humanitarian needs, saving lives at sea and targeting criminal networks, strengthening the Union's external borders, reinforcing internal solidarity and responsibility, providing legal avenues to improve the manage- ment of legal migration and asylum flows and the return and readmission of illegal migrants. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was recently quoted by Deutsche Welle as having stated that "What is new is the realisation that the migrant route across the central Mediterranean is the key to the solution, indeed it is the entire package. This comprehensive package must also contain solidarity, safety and border security. I think that, one way or another, we should try to replicate the deal that we made with Turkey, in the Mediterranean." As already stated, in Valletta, the EU27 leaders will resume their political reflection on the future of the European Union, initiated in Bratislava and to be concluded in Rome on March 25. In Bratislava, the leaders set out the general principles for action. These consist of focusing on citizens' expec- tations and serving better their needs, improving communication and coopera- tion between Member States, as well as delivering on promises and making the EU27 a success. Although many might assume that 'Brexit' will also be on the agenda of the informal summit, this is not expected to be the case given that the United Kingdom has not yet formally trig- gered the Article 50 mechanism for withdrawal from the EU. Naturally, the political reflection on the future of the EU being undertaken by the EU27 is itself a consequence of the decision by the UK to leave the Union. However, the position of the EU has consistently been that there can be no discussions on the terms of the withdrawal agreement itself and on future relations with the UK once it has left the Union until Article 50 has been triggered. When addressing a joint press con- ference with Prime Minister Muscat, European Commission President Jean- Claude Juncker made specific reference to the Valletta summit, stating that "We do think that the Malta Summit, the Valletta Summit, of 3 February has cru- cial importance, not only because this is a summit leading to the Rome Summit by the end of March, but also because it is of crucial importance that on all the other issues the European Union is de- livering in a better and more performant way than this was the case until now." Vanni Xuereb is the Head of the Malta- EU Steering and Action Committee (MEUSAC) The Valletta 'rEUnion' The EU now finds itself at a crucial and critical moment with the many challenges that it faces. For the first time in its history, a Member State will be requesting to leave the Union. Elections that will take place this year in the Netherlands, France and Germany and possibly also Italy, may give rise to a political scenario where other countries start questioning or attempting to re- align their position within the Union On the migration issue, the priority of the EU remains that of establishing "an effective, humanitarian and safe European migration policy"