When he welcomed Enrico Letta, the former Italian Prime Minister and the person in charge of the Swedish, Belgian and Spanish Presidencies of the Council of Ministers of the European Union to prepare a report on the future of the Single Market in European Union on the thirtieth anniversary of its establishment, Prime Minister Robert Abela stressed that all citizens of the European Union should fully enjoy the benefits of the Single Market without creating distinctions and disadvantages.
He primarily mentioned the importance of connectivity for a country on the periphery like Malta, while he mentioned the need for conditions that guarantee equity in the Single Market including unhindered access to medicines. Dr. Abela said that in the field of pharmaceuticals, regulatory issues must be addressed to ensure fair access to medicines for everyone. Prime Minister Abela pointed out the need to protect the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises, which are the backbone of our economies, to continue to roam and move forward in the Single Market and push economic growth and innovation.
The Prime Minister Robert Abela welcomed the work that Letta is doing as he is expected to prepare a comprehensive report as a result of discussions not only with the European institutions but also with talks with the respective Governments of the Member States. In this regard Prime Minister Abela reiterated the need for better legislation that takes into account the impact on each Member State and that in the analysis of the impact considers the needs of everyone. Here he mentioned as examples recent environmental legislations such as the European Directive FIT for 55 and the Mobility Package, with part of the latter recently declared in an opinion of the Attorney General before the Courts of the European Union as an error that shall be void. Therefore the Prime Minister said that there is a need for a better legislative process that takes into account particular cases of Member States such as Malta.
In the meeting with Letta, Dr. Abela said that flexibility in State aid in critical sectors such as transport, digital connectivity and energy among others remains important along with respect for national competence in taxation policy. The Prime Minister also noted the importance of respecting the European principle of a free market of services, so that the European Union is competitive in other areas such as gaming.
Prime Minister Robert Abela concluded by pointing out that Letta’s work in preparing a report on the future of the Single Market is crucial for the strategic and economic vision of the European Union for today’s and tomorrow’s generations.
Photos: OPM
