With Poland remaining fiercely opposed to the proposed contents of a long-sought European Constitution, the EU’s German presidency last night declared negotiations on the treaty’s more controversial aspects would continue outside the remit of the EU summit and without the involvement of Poland.
Poland, which has been the centre of controversy during the two-day summit over its opposition to the proposed treaty’s vote weighting system at council level, would be given a chance to join an EU consensus at a later date.
Malta had stood steadfastly against Poland’s proposals.
A German government spokesperson confirmed the issue of vote weighting, the main sticking point at the summit, would continue during a future intergovernmental conference after Poland refused to agree on a compromise.
This, the spokesperson said, would bide the EU more time, some four months, within which to come up with a satisfactory resolution.
A unanimous approval of the German vote weighting proposal had been sought, but the German presidency, for lack of an agreement, will be using the EU facility to give a mandate to an intergovernmental conference through a simple majority vote. And with 26 of 27 states backing Germany’s proposals, the motion is expected to pass easily.
The only such intergovernmental conference (IGC), where a unanimous vote is not required as at a European Council, was in 1985 under an Italian presidency. The EU had consisted of just 10 countries, with seven voting against three opposing countries to establish the Single European Act, which also comprised voting rules.
Yesterday’s decision brought two days of intense behind the scenes wrangling to an end, as EU leaders attempted desperately to thrash out a compromise on the proposed European treaty.
The agreement had hinged on the details of a new voting system for the council, where a standoff developed between the double majority system proposed by Germany and a controversial square root system being championed by Poland alone.
Poland had threatened scuttling the EU’s Constitution bid with a veto should its proposals not be met.
While Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi was engaged in a series of bilateral meetings throughout the day, EU president and German chancellor Angela Merkel was locked in discussions with Polish President Lech Kaczynski as they attempted to hammer out a solution.
Poland had essentially agreed to the double majority system, provided its implementation would be delayed to a future date – having first proposed 2020, while the German presidency had opted for a 2014 date.
Poland, however, has since rejected the compromise as the EU was seen unwilling to grant a lengthier delay to the introduction of the new voting system.
Malta and most other member states had firmly opposed Poland’s proposals, which floated a square root division of national populations to determine the number of votes a country is granted at council level. The system, however, was detrimental to the four largest and six smallest EU states, including Malta, and with Poland benefiting in particular from such as system.
The so-called double majority voting system, meanwhile, will see votes awarded on the basis of a country’s population. Germany stands to benefit from the system while Poland fears losing influence.
Malta, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said during a press briefing yesterday, would be standing firm on the constitution in its present form, as well as on its own proposals.
In 2004 Malta had agreed to waive its right to an EU commissioner, while the country’s number of European Parliamentary seats would be increased from five to six – in line with the number of seats allocated to Luxemburg.
Malta is also seeking an exemption, along with Cyprus, on its status as an island state. At present the EU provides numerous means of assistance for small islands, although current rules do not allow the provision of such assistance to islands on which a capital city is located.
As such, Malta and Cyprus will be seeking an exemption from the technicality so they would be able to qualify for a range of EU funds available for small islands.
Malta received its first bit of good news on Thursday, with the EU summit unanimously endorsing Malta’s eurozone membership. A 10 July meeting of economy and finance ministers will etch Malta’s eurozone membership in stone.
Globalisation funding in the offing
Dr Gonzi yesterday confirmed the government was assessing whether it would qualify to benefit from the EU’s European Globalisation Fund (EGF), established last year in light of the recent redundancies in the textile industry.
Preliminary indications, the prime minister said yesterday evening, were that Malta would qualify for such funding and that if so, Malta would apply immediately.
The fund, which provides up to EUR500 million per year, gives one-off, time limited individual support for tailor-made services to help workers affected by globalisation through individual wage allowances, re-training or concrete assistance in finding new jobs and was designed to help workers laid off or made redundant by multinational or national companies find and retain new employment.
Migration not on agenda
While Malta’s migration woes and its recent burden sharing proposals were expected to have featured at the summit, most such matters to that were raised by member states were overshadowed by the constitutional debate. The issue of migration in the Mediterranean was to be discussed, if at all, after the constitutional loggerhead was resolved.
The summit’s conclusions, to be published at the European Council’s, the last under the current German presidency, were, however, expected to evoke a call for solidarity among all EU member states.
But, as Foreign Affairs Minister Michael Frendo stressed yesterday, such a conclusion would be positive, “but there will be a need to act on the conclusion”.
Malta can also expect the full support of the European Commission, as indicated by EC president Jose Barroso when in Malta last week.
Malta’s proposals have been discussed between Dr Frendo, Justice and Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg and EC vice president and justice, freedom and security commissioner Franco Frattini.
Dr Frendo tentatively cites feedback from foreign ministers as “not negative” and also reports strong support for Malta’s proposals from fellow southern EU states Spain, Greece, Italy and Cyprus. Germany, meanwhile, is said to have been especially sensitive to Malta’s predicament.
Dr Frendo stressed that while Malta respects its obligation to save lives at risk at sea, he also reiterated that Malta’s responsibility in the area is completely disproportionate.
Malta’s proposals, Dr Frendo commented, were not exaggerated and most agreed they were reasonable.
Mr Frattini, Dr Frendo said, was doing everything possible to see Malta’s proposals brought forward, and that Frontex patrols, due to start in the waters near Malta in the coming days, operate within the proposals’ remit.
Malta’s proposal would see migrants saved at sea by an EU-flagged vessel in a non-EU country’s search and rescue area be divided proportionately across the EU. The proposal is directed at Libya’s lack of responsibility for its search and rescue area.
The proposal will by no means represent an elixir for Malta’s problems but it is being considered as a good starting point. Moreover, the number of asylum seeker rescued by Malta from Libyan waters represents a small portion of the migrants being handled by Malta.
Under Malta’s proposals, any such migrants sent on to another member state would be deducted from the country’s United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees quota.
Malta is also said to have appealed to the European Commission to urge the UNHCR to accept the quota-based proposals.