Malta has made little to no progress in the adoption of rule of law recommendations made by the European Commission since last year, according to the Commission’s 2023 Rule of Law Report, published on Wednesday.
Of six main areas of recommendations, Malta registered ‘some progress’ on three, with ‘no progress’ made on the rest, with the Commission noting that “the efficiency of justice has further deteriorated”, “no measures have been adopted to improve the working environment of journalists”, and that the 2019 Constitutional Convention “remains on hold without a clear calendar”.
The report went on to make further recommendations for additional checks in the appointment of chief justices, improvements to the efficiency with which high level corruption cases are tackled, an improved working environment for journalists which includes freer access to information, and editorial independence in public service media, among others.
When discussing the Maltese justice system, the report noted that while the level of “perceived judicial independence in Malta remains high, no steps have been taken to involve the judiciary in the procedure for appointment of the Chief Justice”, a measure which has been recommended in some form by many institutions for years.
The report also raised concerns about the quality of the justice system, noting that although new judges have been appointed a lack of resources has “further deteriorated” the efficiency of justice.
While Malta’s Anti-Fraud and Corruption strategy “was updated on time” and “prosecution was launched in relation to some cases”, the report noted how “challenges related to high-level corruption cases, including the lack of a robust track record of final judgments remain,” and that “the capacity of the Permanent Commission Against Corruption to reach tangible results remains low.”
The report once again also raised concerns about Malta’s ‘Citizenship by Investment’ scheme as well as the updated procedure through which the new Commissioner for Standards in Public Life was appointed.
With regards to media and press freedom, the report noted how “the media reform process launched following the publication of the report of the Daphne Caruana Galizia public inquiry is still ongoing,” stating that “no measures have been adopted to improve the working environment of journalists”.
The continued lack of access to information by media houses and journalists was also noted in particular, with the report also mentioning how “no steps have been taken to enhance the independence of public service media,” with “no developments with regard to the legislative framework establishing the Broadcasting Authority”, conclusions which were independently arrived at in a Media Freedom and Plurality report by the European University Institute.
The report also called for the introduction of “a framework for public participation in the legislative process” and warned that Malta had made “no progress on re-launching efforts to establish a National Human Rights Institution taking into account the UN Paris Principles.”
Recommendations and warnings don’t impress the PL govt, no matter where these come from. The only thing that makes them act and obey by the rules is to impose sanctions. But that is the problem with the EU, it takes a long time until the EU acts and imposes sanctions on a member state and the PL knows that.
This makes all the efforts taken, as mentioned in this article, look futile. Just to look at Hungary and Poland. Both member states are contravening EU rules and do as they please, even imposed sanctions which do have an effect on these countries, are rather ‘circumvented’. It is still a hard life for free and non-conformist journalists to work in these member states.
I have no doubt that the PL is taking examples from the above mentioned member states, because the similarities between them are there. The fact that in Poland and in Hungary, it is right-wing parties who are in power, doesn’t make a difference at all. It is the authoritarian style to rule the country that impresses the PL and of course the way big money can be generated. On top of all is the desire to rule on their own, a one-party government that has little to no problems with a de facto disfunctional opposition. Then the attitude all the three have in common. When it comes to get money from the EU, they all welcome it, when it is to adopt EU standards, they show their real faces, as either being ‘EU sceptical’ or blatantly anti-EU. They are ‘some sort’ of double faced and double standards politicians of the highest order. Usually, one calls such characters hypocrites.
For the time being, with the PL in govt until 2025, one cannot expect to see any sort of fundamental change and to bring Malta in line with what is demanded from it in order to go with EU standards.
Correction: must read 2027 instead of 2025.
I have been saying all along the years that the only way forward for the EU is to block funding until the country complies fully with all recommendations.
This will put pressure on the country’s finances and will throw it into higher National Deficits resulting in Budget Deficit procedures which will mean having to impose higher taxes and freezeing of wages and pensions to the detriment of lower living standards.
The ongoing and blatant disdain with which the government holds the EU Commission is recognised by the Commission as the report shows.
It is clear that all the huffing and puffing in the world will not and cannot dissuade the government from implementing the recommendations contained in this and previous reports and still the Commission pours funds into Malta knowing full well that significant amounts will find their way into the pockets of crooks.
Unless the fuel supply which feeds the endemic corruption within government circles is cut off, nothing will change.
It is not rocket science to implement for goodness sake, all it takes is the will.
Looking for progress in the Rule of Lawlessness in Malta would certainly have left the Commissioner far less disappointed, wouldn’t it!