The news that Minister Dalli is to be appointed Malta's next commissioner was not a surprise as he has the necessary criteria and the required energy to face the challenges that I am sure this new post will offer him. Minister Dalli's track record says it all; his ten year stint as Finance Minister put Malta on the right economic track and his no nonsense attitude will certainly elevate him to a key player in Barroso's team. Throughout his career Minister Dalli was instrumental in introducing various financial reforms and in revolutionizing the taxation system but one should also give a mention to the Social reform that he initiated when he was appointed Minister for Social Policy. John's tenacity is well known and few would disagree that John is one who plans his work and works his plan. The various posts held in both the Fenech Adami and the Gonzi cabinets together with his vast experience in the economic sector should give Commissioner Barroso a wide choice of posts to offer him in the new Commission.
Having said all this I cannot but mention the valuable work that Outgoing Commissioner Joe Borg did during his term as Commissioner for fisheries and maritime affairs. Being a member of the fisheries committee myself, I had to opportunity to work very closely with Dr. Borg and his secretariat on various issues concerning not only fisheries as a whole but various topics that were fundamental to Malta. Joe's contribution as Malta's first commissioner has left a high benchmark to those who will follow him. I am more that sure that the outgoing Commissioner's role in politics does not finish here and I have no doubts that he will be more than willing to offer his services to his country in the near future.
I would also like to mention the appointment as Slovak Commissioner of the Ex-Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the European Union Mr. Marek Sevcovic. Mr. Sevcovic is a close friend of Malta and we have had a very good working relationship especially when I was in charge of the Report that determined Slovakia's accession to the Euro zone.
The new commission faces various tasks and issues that need to be address during these upcoming 5 years and with the treaty of Lisbon now ratified by all the twenty seven member states European citizens are expecting more from the European Union, and to realize its full potential. This comes at a price, the institutions cannot just lay back and expect things to happen just because the treaty has been ratified, there is a need to modernize practices and be pro active in reforming. There is the need to identify which tools to chose and at what time. The challenges are definitely out there, issues that have been discussed for years now need concrete action to be taken so that they can be tackled in the most efficient manner possible, and we need more efficiency, more democracy and increased coherence.
The European Commission has a vast agenda to work upon, Economic Growth and jobs where we have to ensure that the work environment of our workforce is safe, that the salaries paid justify the work done and more over justify the cost of living, we have to ensure that standards are kept and that workers are protected. There is a social change throughout Europe, a change that has been coming for decades and we all know that the family structure we knew thirty years ago dies not necessarily apply in the world of today. We have to address this issue as soon as possible as we risk emarginating whole sections of society if we don't act quickly.
As a Maltese Member of the European Parliament and as co-president of the ACP I also firmly believe that one of the priorities that the Commission should act upon is the influx of irregular immigrants to Europe, we need to find more effective ways to tackle this situation and I think that this cannot be done without actively addressing phenomenon Africa, we need to save Africa in order to save Europe we need to dig deep and start nursing the sore from its core if we are to have any success in this quest.
The Commission has to consolidate Europe's role as the champion of peace and democracy in the world, together as a united Europe we can make the difference in ending inequalities, forced labour and other atrocities we should offer a helping hand to those looking for assistance and an iron fist to those who want to abuse. Let us set aside all the red tape, roll our sleeves and get down to the nitty gritty.
We have a responsibility to make this Europe a better place, the future of our children and nephews depend on how much commitment towards this cause we show now. I am sure that the new commission headed by Jose Manuel Barroso will do its utmost to achieve all the goals it set and more, and with John Dalli as part of this new team I am certain that they will succeed.
This article is written by David Casa and was published on The Times on Thursday 26th November 2009.
