The Minister for Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects Silvio Schembri attended the Council of European Ministers in Brussels, where the Draghi Report was discussed on the future of competitiveness in Europe and the challenges they are facing industries and enterprises in the Single Market.
Minister Schembri said that Malta looks at the Draghi Report as a positive contribution to the discussions on improving European competitiveness and that Malta agrees with the need to remove obstacles to competition as well as supporting a complete review, especially for -our industrial and service sectors.
In fact, Malta asked for emphasis to be placed on key sectors such as energy, digitalisation, advanced technologies and transport as well as the creation of the Second Chips Act and a new EU strategy for semiconductors to reduce dependencies on foreign continents. He also pointed out that it is good to continue with the promotion of decarbonisation while this should be done with a sense of not hindering the competitiveness of the Single Market.
Minister Schembri reiterated that work should be done more seriously so that our workers are trained with skills in the field of renewable energy, artificial intelligence, manufacturing, and digital infrastructure. Regarding connectivity, Minister Schembri said that the concept of “one size fits all” does not work because it ignores the distinct needs of member countries that have different realities from the big countries. “As a country made up of islands that imports more than 70% of its consumption needs, safe and efficient air and sea connectivity are important not only for economic security but also for our very existence. Unlike landlocked countries, Malta cannot rely on land and rail transport networks, and any disruption to maritime or air routes will have an immediate and severe impact on essential supplies such as -food, energy, and medicines. Therefore, ensuring reliable, affordable, and efficient connectivity remains an absolute priority for our nation,” said Minister Silvio Schembri.
On the extension of “Qualified Majority Voting” in certain sensitive sectors which may have a disproportionate impact on some Member States, Minister Schembri said that Malta has great reservations about it but strongly supports the reduction of bureaucratic burdens by taking into account the reduction of reporting obligations by 25%. The minister continued with several meetings with other ministers so that as a country Malta can continue to increase the support from other countries on these themes.
