The decision of the EU Commission to instigate legal proceedings against the discriminatory imposition of the departure tax has vindicated the unflinching oppositional stance adopted by Alternattiva Demokratika on the nation’s behalf since 2004, said the Green Party yesterday.

In a statement, AD said that the then spokesman for EU affairs, Prof. Arnold Cassola, had formally alerted the European Commission to the discriminatory nature of the departure tax, which had selectively placed a grossly unjust burden on all residents of Malta and Gozo, making it more difficult for them to travel freely within the EU for business, social, leisure or study purposes.

This fiscal impediment had adversely affected the economy by frustrating the receipt and provision of services in relation to other EU member states, said AD. “Initially the reaction of EU officials was that there had been no breach of EU law because there was “no discrimination between Maltese and EU citizens”. However, on insisting that this measure not only obstructed freedom of movement among EU citizens, but selectively discriminated between EU citizens living in Malta and those living elsewhere in the EU, EU officials then undertook to investigate the matter further,” said AD chairman Harry Vassallo.

AD welcomed the EU Commission’s conclusion that “air passengers travelling from Malta to other EU member states will benefit from eliminating the discriminatory effects of the airport tax”.

“Alternattiva Demokratika was right to persist with both the Maltese government and the Commission about this unjust tax from the very outset. This is yet another remarkable AD achievement, clinched without parliamentary representation,” said Dr Vassallo.

He continued: “The effectiveness of our party is clearly demonstrated by having secured this successful outcome for the benefit of the whole nation. We will achieve even more when the electorate votes for Green Party parliamentary representation in the forthcoming general election. AD has always put the interest of the country before that of the party.”