Malta's position on four 'acquis' chapters submitted to MEUSAC

by Anthony Manduca

Malta's negotiating positions on four chapters of the EU's acquis communautaire have been submitted to MEUSAC, the Malta European Union Steering Action Committee, which has to approve them before they are passed on to the Cabinet.

Official sources told The Malta Business Weekly that the four chapters being discussed were company law, customs union, fisheries and European Monetary Union, all of which could easily be opened for negotiations when France takes over the presidency in July.

Malta has already closed seven acquis chapters under the Portuguese presidency and at least eight more chapters are expected to be opened under the French.

Malta did not ask for any transition periods or derogations in the seven chapters that were provisionally closed, namely industrial policy, small and medium, enterprises, science and research, education and training, telecommunications, external relations and common foreign and security policy, because these were "easy" chapters which were already closely aligned to Maltese law.

Sources told The Malta Business Weekly that it was possible that out of the four negotiation positions currently being discussed by MEUSAC, it was possible that a derogation would be requested for the fisheries chapter, to secure

current Maltese fishing rights. Other chapters which the Maltese government would be prepared to open under the French presidency include competition, statistics, consumer policy and health protection, taxation, energy and transport.

The audio-visual chapter, which was opened under the Portuguese presidency, is likely to be closed under the French.

The presidency conclusions of the EU summit in Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal, which ended on Tuesday, said in an extract on enlargement, that it would be feasible for the EU to open negotiations in all areas of the acquis with the most advanced candidates as early as possible in 2001.

The EU Council also said in its conclusion that all candidates would continue to be treated on the basis of their own merit.

"In line with the principle of differentiation, it is possible for candidates to catch up with those which started their negotiations earlier," the presidency conclusions said.

This is obviously good news for Malta especially when one considers that Malta, which is technically part of the "Helsinki Group" of applicant countries, only began its membership negotiations last March.

Last Monday, Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama said that Malta's EU membership negotiations were a "success story".