One can hardly know what to make of Malta’s membership of the European Union. Are we serious about our commitment? Have we found the responsibilities of membership to be overwhelming, and the cost of abiding by the rules too burdensome, even with EU help? Or have we been, maybe, a dash too complacent and allowed a Mediterranean lethargy to creep in when, in fact, we need to be on our toes continually?

Only consider. We are in difficulty with the bureaucrats in Brussels over car registration tax, spring hunting, greenhouse gas emissions and transposition of the EU’s laws on the landfilling of waste. Brussels, of course, has differences with all the members on this or that, but these differences rarely seem to come up so prolifically with any other particular member.

The different opinions in Brussels and Valletta on car registration tax, relating to the tax on used cars imported from EU member states, which Brussels says are discriminatory against used cars, can be costly to the government, though a boon to the consumer, if the taxes were to be removed.

The government has explained that its concerns are not just carbon emissions, but also traffic congestion levels and the need for parking areas. It argues that the car registration tax helps reduce traffic congestion levels, but this can be countered by the consideration that it is the least well off whom taxation keeps off the roads. Those who can afford the tax are hardly likely to think of easing congestion.

In the matter of transposing into national law the EU’s laws on the landfilling of waste, Malta is not on its own. Brussels is actually starting legal action on this against Malta and 13 other EU members. The aim behind these laws is to eliminate, or minimise, the negative effects of landfill waste. Probably no member would find fault with that, it is only time that is so pressing.

On greenhouse gas emissions, the government says it has made a lot of progress in meeting reporting obligations and adds that Malta will submit its first report in the next reporting period, including all the reports outstanding since accession.

The issue of hunting is tricky, and the government seems to be in a corner, with the Maltese negotiators having been accused by the Environment Commissioner, no less, of never discussing spring hunting. The government is in a difficult and emotive position, facing an unending outcry against hunting abuses, and a vociferous minority that wants to protect its age-old traditions. Ever since the subject was brought into the public domain many years ago, mistakes have been made in its handling and today we are reaping the consequences of those mistakes.

The government does seem to be in a weak spot. In a statement issued on Thursday it said it had taken note of press reports “on decisions which have, reportedly, been taken by the (European) Commission in relation to hunting in Malta during spring”. So there is doubt, for the government, as to whether the Commission has taken the reported decisions. But then, just a few words further on, the doubts are removed, with the government saying it regretted “that the Commission has decided to act as if the subject was never even discussed during these (accession) negotiations”.

That last sentence, apart from apparently eliminating any doubts the government had about the Commission taking decisions, also seems to be contradicting what the Environment Commissioner said. Were there, or were there not, negotiations on spring hunting? The Commissioner says no. Why has there been no rebuttal of that?

But the government says it acted “in line with the understandings reached during Malta’s accession negotiations”. What were these understandings? Can we be privy to them? Or were they understandings based on a nod and a wink (which can hardly be the case, and it would have been weak for the negotiators to have accepted such “understandings”)?

The majority in Malta are against hunting, but the hunting community, though in a minority, has rights too. It would be both wrong and dangerous to try to pummel the hunters into submission. And it is certainly not the way to go about cooling

tempers.