“I want effective implementation of EU rules and scrutiny on the government. If elected to the European Parliament, I will not be there to cover up for the government but to represent people and protect their interests. Look at what happened in the financial services sector. FIAU and institutions were sleeping, notwithstanding blatant abuse. Then they gave several fines which courts are considering as unconstitutional. Now we are in uncertainty. We need more seriousness across the board.” Dr. Peter Agius, PN MEP Candidate, made these remarks during a debate on Financial Institutions and Over-Regulation organized by The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise, and Industry.

Peter Agius explained that financial services operators are paying the price for the lack of due diligence with Pilatus bank leading to great damage to the industry in Malta and abroad. “Nowhere is the price of corruption and abuse of power as clear as in the sacrifice done by thousands of Maltese professionals who have seen profitability in the industry going down and bureaucracy and regulation going up to make up for the excesses of others. The dragging of feet with regard to the extradition of Pilatus officials adds salt to the wound. While many had to face fines and hardship, the real culprits keep enjoying the good life – scot-free.”

Agius also spoke on the need for fewer rules and better implementation. “We can’t have 200 EU laws a year but then have fuel tanks at Hal Farrug close to private residences and untreated sewage discarded in the sea. These are two textbook cases of Malta disregarding EU laws and standards. If elected as MEP, I will scrutinize both the commission and the Maltese government to ensure EU laws are implemented in Malta and that the rights of citizens and the industry are safeguarded. I want a strong EU on rights, on the environment, on EU opportunities for Gozo and youth, but not a Europe which covers 1000 things without implementing rights. Agius said that he wrote to several ministers but never got a reply. On the other hand, when he wrote to the Commission, he got a reply immediately. He stressed “We need political maturity to defend the rights of citizens.”

Dr. Peter Agius said he disagreed with Malta giving up its fiscal sovereignty as the country relied only on human capital. “How much Malta will lose? Other big countries will gain billions according to reports. We need Europe to make its impact assessment but we need to do ours before legislation is adopted and not after.” In this regard, he referred to the EPP – European People’s Party electoral manifesto, which advocates for assessing the territorial impact of European measures and laws before implementation—a principle he actively advocated for and intends to uphold for Malta’s benefit. He said “This measure is priceless for Malta and I want to make this at the center of EU decision-making.”

Agius added “We need to be more present across the board, to be better prepared to have more competence in Europe. We can’t give up that we can adapt EU laws to our need. I worked in the EU and negotiated over 20 EU laws. I know for a fact that if you have a strong argument and you make it consistently, others will understand and try to accommodate. But once again, we need moral authority in Europe; otherwise, we can’t face Europe and change things to our needs.”

Agius also spoke on the need to work together with stakeholders to adapt EU laws to Malta’s needs. “We need the industry to work with MEPs to leave an impact when laws are still being shaped. We need the contribution of all. I am going to fight for your rights and as promised, I want to empower Maltese stakeholders to work in a collegial way to defend our rights.”

“It is already close to impossible for first-time buyers to access the housing market today. New Green Deal measures will make it even harder to buy property in Malta, especially for first-time buyers who risk seeing price hikes due to new rules requiring new buildings to be net zero emission as from 2030. If elected as an MEP I will make sure that new rules do not put the burden of the European Green Deal on property buyers. The Maltese Government must do more to leverage EU funds to sustain property buyers to invest in energy efficiency. The Green deal has to be a deal for the Maltese as well.” Peter Agius, MEP Candidate for the upcoming European elections taking place on 8^th June made these remarks after meeting Federico Nahuel Lazzari, Secretary-General of Build Europe, the association representing developers and homebuilders in the EU, including the Malta Developers Association (MDA).

Federico Nahuel Lazzari welcomed the initiative of Dr Peter Agius to meet and discuss policy priorities to help property buyers in Europe.  “I would like to thank Dr. Agius for his availability and his stance on housing affordability. Build Europe has been working for many years to raise concerns at the EU level about the housing crisis, which prevents millions of citizens from accessing decent housing at affordable costs. We hope that our Manifesto will help EU policymakers find efficient solutions, and we are happy that Dr. Agius acknowledges with us the importance of home in citizens’ lives”, said Federico Nahuel Lazzari.

The need to address housing affordability is vital also when taking into account wages in Malta. According to Eurostat Maltese wages are lower than most other EU countries. Wages have improved across Europe since 2016 except in Malta. In this regard Peter Agius stressed “Maltese wages at a stand-still. Far from being the best in Europe, Maltese wages have stalled where European wages keep growing. This makes it even harder for young people to buy their first property. New EU directives on energy efficiency are now expected to lead to further property hikes as new buildings will need to be zero emissions as from 2030. I call on the Maltese Government to launch a national consultation process on the implementation of these new rules. Let’s not wait till the eleventh hour to start the change needed in the property market.”

Peter Agius who has 20 years of EU experience said “Our emphasis should be how to make the best of Europe in securing easy funding for property convertors, renovators and builders to offer clean energy properties at affordable prices.”

He concluded that the burden of the Green Deal cannot be carried by the property buyers, especially not first-time buyers. He said that if elected to the European Parliament he will ensure that EU legislation is fit for the Maltese Islands. “Shaping EU laws to our needs is one of my priorities. If elected as MEP I want to make use of provisions in the European People’s Party electoral manifesto, which advocates for assessing the territorial impact of European measures and laws before implementation—a principle I actively advocated for over the last three years and which I intend to uphold for Malta’s benefit.”

“We need to continue the fight for good governance using new tools, building alliances with all people of good will and empowering civil society to keep decision-makers under constant scrutiny” said EU official and MEP candidate Peter Agius after meeting Nick Aiossa, Director of Transparency International.

Transparency International is the leading global organisation tasked with preventing corruption and promoting integrity by keeping constant watch on the Rule of Law and Transparency agenda in European Union institutions and its Member States.

Director Nick Aiossa welcomed the initiative of MEP candidate Peter Agius to discuss with Transparency International EU how the good governance agenda can be promoted in Malta and the EU ahead of the 8 June European Elections.

Peter Agius said that ‘Civil society organisations like Transparency International needs to be empowered to secure greater accountability in decision-making, including in the use of EU funding by the EU and in the Member States. We need to be vigilant that hard-earned tax payer money does not end up in the wrong pockets.’

“The next European Parliament legislature needs to strengthen scrutiny on the use of EU funding first of all by providing for more transparency on funded projects and their effective deliverables and secondly by ensuring proper follow-up and improved coordination by national and European authorities like the European Public Prosecutors Office (EPPO) to effectively stamp out corruption and fraud in the use of EU funding.”

“It is indeed worrying that in its first yearly report the EPPO notes 14 ongoing cases of fraud from EU funding in Malta. We must all do our part to increase accountability and transparency. We can’t risk eroding public trust.” said Peter Agius.

“Apart for stamping out fraud, we must also avoid cases of misuse where EU money is not used optimally and fails to deliver on its promised deliverables. One such clear case is the 70 million EU funding spent in Malta on sewage plants. Contractors were paid, but much more sewage is now flowing into our beaches than ever before. This is unacceptable. This is why I requested a performance audit to the Auditor General to secure better clarity on responsibilities in this field. Our time at the beach this summer depends on this!” concluded Peter Agius.