MEP Therese Comodini Cachia described her first year as an MEP as very challenging but rewarding since it provides opportunities to address obstacles that people face in daily life.
Comodini Cachia said this at a seminar in which she hosted a number of stakeholders and constituents so as to communicate her work over these past months since elected in June 2014. In three discussion panels composed of experts and stakeholders in their respective fields, aspects of her work in the European Parliament were discussed with members of the panels indicating how this work could affect them.
More EU in combatting human trafficking and smuggling
“As we speak, people in misery are falling victims to a network of resourceful criminals without a conscience whose actions are creative in making money. We are seeking avenues how to follow the trail of these perpetrators and to stop human trafficking and smuggling.”
Dr Therese Comodini Cachia was elaborating about her work as a Member of the Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean and her position as EPP Shadow Rapporteur on human trafficking within the Foreign Affairs sub-committee on Human Rights (DROI). Earlier on in the year Comodini Cachia represented the European Parliament in a meeting of the Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean and which adopted a resolution seeking a more coherent cooperation between the EU and Mediterranean countries, proposing more effective measures to address the difficulties in the countries of origin that give rise to irregular immigration and expose people to persecutions.
“I have focused on helping in identifying measures to effectively address human smuggling and trafficking whilst looking towards solutions at source.” said Comodini Cachia.
Specifically on immigration, Dr Comodini Cachia described the phenomenon as highly complex requiring not only short term but also long term solutions. She remarked that “we need to stop raising public expectations towards immediate solutions with transit countries like Libya, knowing that a democracy is not molded overnight”.
Comodini Cachia added that “like our geographic position is considered as an asset on several instances such as for example tourism and maritime policies, we should acknowledge that likewise it presents challenges, most notably on migration, which require us to turn such into opportunities.” In her remarks she referred to the fact that Europe has an aging population which poses pressing socio-economic obligations on Member States and may require us to look beyond our shores.
On a critical note Comodini Cachia remarked that the European Council has failed repeatedly to rise to the occasion, something she described as a huge irony in terms of European principles advocating respect to human rights. “We witnessed during these last ten years a series of failures towards upholding human dignity, something which is enshrined in our own principles. I’m afraid we’ve learned nothing from recent tragedies at our shores, repeating the same mistake turning a blind eye on lives of people being lost. We are not shouldering responsibility as a family of States.”
Student mobility as key towards entrepreneurship
As an active member in the Culture and Education Committee, Comodini Cachia referred to her work as shadow rapporteur on the implemented acts related to Erasmus+ programme, focusing on the need to have education systems that instil aspirations in students and that empower them with the necessary tools to become critical thinkers and to fulfil their aspirations.
Flanked by Ferdinando M Galán Palomares, Chairperson of the European Students Union (ESU), who was invited as foreign guest for this seminar, Therese Comodini Cachia MEP thanked ESU for their support towards jointly organising a conference in Brussels on "International Youth Mobility: Beyond Erasmus+ Program - 25 years of Youth Empowering Youth"; and praised them for their efforts towards putting forward proposals on reaching the target of 20% mobile students by 2020.
Protecting commercial rights for a more competitive internal market
The Chief Executive Office of the Malta Business Bureau Mr. Joe Tanti praised MEP Therese Comodini Cachia for having been available to listen to the concerns of local businesses and raising these in her work at the European Parliament. He highlighted her engagement with the local industry on sensitive dossiers debated within the Legal Affairs Committee, citing trade secrets and single member companies as examples.
Dr Therese Comodini Cachia referred to a report approved last week concerning copyright legislation. In her words the balancing act which required end users to benefit from enhanced access to content that is currently available as well as to foster the right environment for the creation of new content was far from easy. Reacting to a question from a business participant, Comodini Cachia explained that the report on which she was EPP Shadow Rapporteur called for a balanced framework that protected rights holders but also considered the potential of the digital single market and the rights of consumers.
“This will foster investment in the creative industry, safeguard employment and encourage job creation, while at the same time give the industry an opportunity to embrace digital technologies.” Comodini Cachia said.
Reacting to a question from the floor on geo-blocking, Comodini Cachia said that a digital single market provides businesses and consumers vast opportunities for portability of content and services. “Companies which invest in innovative technology should be helped to penetrate European cross-border markets and compete without unnecessary barriers. Yet territorial licencing may be justified in a few industries especially those that reflect Europe’s cultural and linguistic diversity such as the film industry.” she remarked.
Comodini Cachia reiterated her commitment and determination to contribute towards making a difference through a number of small positive steps in people’s lives. She described her first months as an opportunity to find ways of addressing daily obstacles within a rich learning environment conducive to constructive dialogue. “This honour places huge responsibility to address the needs and aspirations of those who placed their trust in me. I look forward to build further on the continued contact I retained with my constituents in Malta over this year, ensuring that I live up to their expectations as their voice in Europe” she concluded.