Thank you all for taking the time to attend today.
The history of the Mediterranean region is crucial to understanding the origins and development of many modern societies. German philosopher Friedrich Hegel said about the Mediterranean: “For three quarters of the globe, the Mediterranean Sea is similarly the uniting element and the centre of World History.”
The reason we host this annual conference is to serve both as a way to communicate what the European Union is doing in the ongoing crises faced in the Mediterranean and more significantly to exchange views as to what you think needs to be – and can be – done from a Euro-Med perspective to ensure stability in the region.
Twenty-five years ago Pope John Paul II visited Malta and in his address underlined that we Maltese are “widely respected for our initiatives aimed at strengthening understanding, cooperation, peace, and well-being among peoples”. 25 years on, these words still ring true and must remain our guiding principle today. Malta has a role to play.
That the Mediterranean finds itself at the front of the storm is not something new. However, rarely have we faced the concurrent challenges posed by increased migration flows, more deaths in our seas, instability in Libya, the surge of terrorism in Mediterranean cities, volatility in North Africa, the economic situation in Greece and devastating war in Syria.
It is difficult to speak about the challenges faced in the Mediterranean without underlining again the need for renewed impetus to resolve the Israeli – Palestinian conflict. We need to reposition the discussion back towards a two-state solution, with both States living with secure and guaranteed borders, recognising each other’s sovereignty and the right to peaceful co-existence.
The situation in Cyprus, still divided after all these years, is another of the Mediterranean’s open wounds and I hope that the latest thaw in relations will finally mean the breakthrough that we have all wanted to see.
The challenges are many – but in my two years as a Member of the European Parliament and for the last months as the Shadow Minister for European and Foreign Affairs – I have always held that Europe – every Member State – has a responsibility, along with the countries in the region, to share the challenges and come up with a coherent and concrete response that helps address this multi-faceted crisis.
Europe can contribute but it will only be able to do so effectively if it acts in unison. The proposals to review the EU’s relations with the neighbourhood under the European Neighbourhood Process (ENP) will be submitted in autumn in order to attune it to new political realities, so as the EU prepares to revitalise it’s engagement with the neighbourhood, it is clear that our challenge is a European challenge not a Mediterranean one.
As we have said time and time again, not being a Member State in the geographic vicinity of the Mediterranean does not exonerate you from responsibility. We will soon hear from MOAS’ Executive Director and also from his Excellency the Italian Ambassador to Malta, who I am sure will expand further on this point further
When it comes to migration, the European Commission, has – to a certain extent – acknowledged our calls and has recently issued a new agenda for migration that has fair-sharing of responsibility and solidarity at its core. Apart from an emergency relocation proposal for Syrian and Eritrean asylum seekers from Italy and Greece, the Commission has also announced that it will issue a proposal for a mandatory distribution mechanism later on in the year.
It is not perfect. The key used by the European Commission for its distribution mechanism does not take into account the size of a country’s territory nor will it affect people from Somalia for example. But it was clearly a big step forward and for the first time puts a concrete proposal in front of EU Prime Ministers. We will keep up the pressure on them to act. The status quo in this area is simply unacceptable.
In the European Parliament there is an understanding that, as former interior Ministers Tonio Borg and Carm Mifsud Bonnici have long argued, unless we have a holistic all-encompassing approach that looks at every aspect of migration we will not get anywhere.
To this end, as a MEP I have been appointed as the rapporteur, together with an Italian Socialist MEP, on a bi-partisan report on migration. We have already started working on it. We will not look at migration from any single aspect but will push forward a holistic approach that tackles all the sides of the very complicated RubiCube of an issue. We will try to answer questions as to where the EU’s money is going in order to help countries in Africa get back on their feet; how can we boost search and rescue; how can we dismantle the crime networks profiting; how can people seek protection without being forced onto unseaworthy boats and how do we return those not eligible for protection in Europe.
Working on this report has more than ever brought home the very real and very human challenges surrounding the migration debate and the hurdles and risks faced by people in the search of protection. We sometimes get lost in statistics when talking about migration. It is perhaps too easy to forget that behind every number there is a life.
As lawmakers we need to be able to understand what causes people to flee, what obstacles they face and how the EU – acting together – can help address both the underlying issues as well as the emergency short-term challenges and I hope our discussions here today will feed into the process.
But it also true that Europe does not have unlimited resources and those resources should be used for those who are truly in need. We need more efficient systems to ensure that those who do not qualify for protection should be safely returned.
So while it is important that Member States agree on a better, fairer response to migration, the challenges facing the Mediterranean are many and long-standing.
In a 2010 speech to the United Nations General Assembly Prime Minister Gonzi, underlined that “Malta’s geo-strategic location in the Mediterranean has placed it in the privileged yet responsible position of building bridges between the two continents” while enhancing dialogue.
Malta’s can indeed use its unique position to help push the path towards lasting stability, peace and security throughout the region, including in Libya. I am sure that Leader of the Opposition Simon Busuttil and Minister Carmelo Abela will be able elaborate further on this point soon.
Of course, we would be wrong to stand here and pretend that we have all the answers or that we are able to tell Libya what to do from the safety of our podium. The international community, including the EU, can stand with the people of Libya as they overcome their internal struggles and work together as equal partners but it is the Libyans who must be the masters of their own destiny.
Terrorist organisations like the Islamic State can only be effectively defeated by a Libya that is strong and united on every level. As much as we can try to square the circle, there are no other real or viable options that will lead to lasting progress other than a home-grown and home-led solution.
But the time pressure is real. Extremists and organised crime networks cannot be allowed the space to operate.
As a trusted partner of the Libyan people, Malta can play an important part in helping to build confidence and assisting the process without imposition. The longer the political status quo remains, the harder it will be to find a solution. Libya, indeed the entire region, cannot afford failure.
So allow me to welcome all our distinguished speakers here today and to thank you for your valuable contributions. I am looking forward to listening to them.
