Abela ties farmer and fisher aid to renewed EU food security fears

Prime Minister Robert Abela told parliament on Monday that he was disappointed by what he described as a lack of debate on the Middle East at the European Council on 15 and 16 October. He contrasted that with a six-hour discussion on Ukraine and questioned the bloc’s approach to international conflicts.

Abela said EU leaders adopted conclusions on the Middle East without the level of debate given to Ukraine. “All we did was adopt conclusions,” he said, calling the disparity disappointing. He also questioned European financial support for Ukraine, saying €160 billion had been sent, with no clear end in sight to the conflict or the spending.

He outlined talks on competitiveness, the next long-term budget, enlargement and migration. On competitiveness, leaders discussed global macroeconomic imbalances, trade relations and progress on the One Europe, One Market roadmap. He said concern over inflation and soaring energy and fuel prices dominated, with pressure felt across Europe, and he referred to alarming scenes in recent days in Paris, Milan, Lisbon, Brussels and Madrid. He argued that Malta’s energy policy had helped keep stability by having the government shoulder the heaviest burdens.

On the next long-term budget, Abela said talks had moved forward after the Irish presidency presented a revised negotiating framework, but that considerable work remained. He said the EU should aim to agree by the end of the year and that November would be an intense month of negotiations.

Among four priorities for Malta, he insisted new spending should not come at the expense of traditional priorities, particularly cohesion policy, which he called an important vehicle for economic progress and development and a complement to competitiveness. He also called for appropriate allocations for farmers and fishermen, linking their support to food security, which he said had once again become a major concern for the bloc, as it had in 2020. “We thought we wouldn’t be facing these issues in our lifetime again, but here we are,” he said.

Abela said the EU budget should reflect citizens’ aspirations and support credible, realistic reforms based on national interests. “Reforms should be planned, not imposed,” he said. He repeated his opposition to EU-level taxation, saying taxation should remain with member states, warned that a European tax regime could affect Malta’s economic structure, and pledged to keep defending the country’s gaming sector. He said Malta was prepared at policy and technical level.

The summit also covered enlargement, including progress in accession talks with candidate countries and work on Montenegro’s accession treaty. Abela said the developments offered encouraging prospects for future membership if countries met the requirements and the timing was right. He said preparations must keep all member states equal, regardless of size or economic strength, so the benefits of membership reach every citizen and business.

Migration was another main topic, with a heated discussion after events in Ceuta over the summer and continued pressure from irregular migration despite an overall decline in arrivals. Abela said Malta had insisted on communication with North African countries and pointed to a visit by Maltese officials to Libya the previous week.