On 1 May 2004 the Maltese Parliament ratified the Accession Treaty to the European Union, becoming a full member.   Eleven years have passed since that signing by the Maltese Prime Minister,  Eddie Fenech Adami, and significant change has taken place not just within our country but also in our economic, social and political life on a local and international level.

The Accession Treaty was signed on 16 April 2003 in Athens before becoming ratified by the Maltese Parliament on 1 May 2004. 

In the first full financing period of 2007 – 2013 Malta and Gozo received € 1.115 billion from the EU budget.  The next financial period, as negotiated by the Government of Lawrence Gonzi, allocated a budget of € 1.128 billion covering the period of 2014 – 2020.  Malta’s net position (after  its contribution to the EU budget ) will be € 627 million.  This last budget benefited Gozo with €78 million from the Cohesion Policy and a further €32 million (23% of Malta’s agricultural allocation) to total €110 million.

Many Local Councils have applied for special funds and obtained approval for projects which have benefited the community and helped to raise our standard of living and economic activity.  

Access to the European Union market of over 500 million people with an estimated GDP for 2014 of $18.399 trillion, is able to sustain trade and income to our country which not only reaches upper levels but also the micro level on a personal  and individual basis.

This means that the economic activity in the country is very much sustained by our status with Europe.   Due to the positive results achieved by Malta in the last budget to 2013, other countries from Europe began to take notice of us and trust us with their investments, commerce and trade.

There has also been a migration flow of population from north of the Mediterranean and from the Balkan area, resulting in a greater generation of tax and spending power but also on an additional strain on the infrastructure of health, housing  and education.  There have also been Maltese emigrants to countries in Europe where their skills and knowledge find opportunities which are not always available at home.

The tourism industry was one of the main pillars which registered an increase in passengers coming our way as awareness of Malta became more diffused across Europe and beyond, travel became increasingly accessible and the Euro boosted ease of exchange.  The Schengen treaty opened markets and consolidated our position amongst our neighbours as a safe and secure country, where you can expect to find EU standards and laws. 

Many projects started to be undertaken to develop roads and infrastructure which would take Malta towards the level of the mainstream of Europe.   Such change is perceived and consolidated in the minds of those who visit our islands and helps to not only enhance our product but also to create a good impression.

In a world of increasing individualism it can be difficult to accept being part of a family and part of a philosophy.  There is a tendency to isolationism and protection.  This attitude is regressive and unhealthy.  A well- formed individual and nation commits to participate in responsibilities and actions which are beneficial not just to themselves but to the greater whole and common good.   In this globalised world it is quite impossible really to stand apart and not assume a role at an international level.  It is true, though, that this concept of globalisation should not exceed the person who is at the centre of the entity itself – the people.  The right thing would be to always look for balance and fairness in all policies, something we can do because we are present with our MEPs in the EU parliament.

The result that our country sees today that its economy cannot be separated from its membership of the European Union.   Education, agriculture, fisheries, tourism, industry, manufacturing, retail, construction and investment have gone hand in hand.  As already mentioned, we should not allow uncontrolled business and speculation, especially in the construction industry to impose on the quality of life which we hope to enjoy for ourselves and future generations.  Protecting the environment and nature is also of paramount importance or there will be no happiness amongst the population who cannot live only on work and money and little else.  This is what differentiates Europe from other countries where communism and a low standard of living is prevalent.  26 out of 28 EU countries have a very high Human Development Index, according to the UNDP.  In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

The difference that has been made in education is enormous.  Travel has also become so much more a part of our lives and added a greater dimension not only to our relationships with others but also on a personal level.

Always a resourceful and ambitious population, the Maltese found an ideal environment for their creativity, business mind, friendly attitude, language skills and history.  As a country we have transformed the past and built the present and the future.   We should preserve our heritage and our investments proudly and not just make a lottery of them to foreign interests.

Our cultural heritage too must go hand in hand with our economic development.   That’s why we are so ashamed of what will be done outside the new Parliament building with the market stalls.  That is why, also, it was so disgraceful to see a mega disco around the island, spread over the Holy Week, with no respect for our cultural and religious heritage and with complete disregard for the well- being of the residents.  This was not quite what a free market and the EU had in mind I believe. Taken to this extreme, such economic activities can have their place only if they do not walk over the majority of the people.  It was brutal and rude to have subjected people to endure the loud music and distract them from their right to religious freedom.  If we are so intent on ensuring equal rights for all, the right to practice your religion is one of them.  I am sure that no other European country, Catholic or not, would have allowed this profane activity over Easter and in populated areas where the sound was clearly heard for three days and nights.  Or was this date chosen deliberately and in particular?  How can the MTA promote Malta for religious tours and Easter, culture and history and then allow one activity to dominate the environment over everything else?

If we are going to allow rampant commercialism and materialism to take over our life, then do not blame the EU for loss of values and identity.  We lose our identity not by joining the EU but by forgetting our heritage and culture.  All the fuss that is made about immigration and its consequences on our culture and identity is quite banal and foolish when we have no respect for ourselves or pride in our fundamental values, sell our citizenship and will worship money above all else. 

Membership of the EU has brought ample opportunity for recreation.  Do not abuse it though, or the whole of Malta and Gozo will become one Paceville.  Residents of Valletta and central Malta have much to say about the noise they suffer.  Fireworks and Festas are not excluded and here too a policy is needed which respects others. 

Our infrastructure is sorely in need now of maintenance and new investments as roads have fallen into a disgraceful state, especially in Gozo where it is like going back two decades within the last years.

The health sector also stands to fail unless we keep the citizens at the forefront of its needs.  Plans which benefit the few in the private sector and exclude the ordinary citizen will not provide the infrastructure that is needed to ensure the service, and the high standards that have been achievedcan become a thing of the past.

If our European Union membership is to be a means for good, as a country we need to ensure that social and political values are given the same importance as the economy.  The EU is not some financial organisation and nothing else.  To be a European Citizen is to embrace fundamental democratic values and heritage and to cooperate with others responsibly.  The EU itself is sometimes at fault when it comes to realistically allowing equal opportunities to the nation states and incorporating the individual needs of each country.  We, as a country, can either contribute constructively to the argument or abuse it.  It is up to us to be strong and have an enduring vision for the future of Malta.