DIARY OF EVENTS 2004 JANUARY - doi photography competition

• 1 March 2004 A report in The Economist says that Malta managed to get the best EU membership
conditions from Brussels during its accession negotiations. The report, entitled ‘How the rich and tiny
manage to win the most privileges’, says that workers from tiny Malta will be allowed into existing EU
countries without any restrictions since they are deemed unlikely to disrupt labour markets.
• 1 March 2004 An informative meeting organised and hosted by the Anti-Fraud Coordinating Service of
the EU Anti-Fraud Service was held at Project House, in Floriana. The Internal Audit Investigations
Directorate has been designated as the Malta Anti-Fraud Coordinating Service for DG Olaf and is
responsible for the coordination of all the activities and initiatives concerning the fight against fraud.
• 2 March 2004 IT and Investment Minister Austin Gatt announced that the second eEurope+ Progress
Report shows that Malta has more homes connected to the internet - 49 per cent - than any other EU
acceding country. The survey was carried out among the 10 countries joining the EU in May, as well as
candidate countries Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. Dr Gatt was addressing a press briefing.
• 2 March 2004 Minister for Youth and the Arts Jesmond Mugliett launched the official programme of
activities to celebrate Malta’s accession to the European Union. He described the occasion as ‘an artistic
festival that reflects the richness and diversity of Maltese culture, as well as the diversity of the cultures of
the countries that make up the EU’. Mr Mugliett was addressing a press conference at the Mediterranean
Conference Centre. http://www.malta-celebrates-eu.com/
• 2 March 2004 Transport and Communications Minister Censu Galea said in reply to a parliamentary
question that there were 119 incidents involving Maltese-flagged vessels last year, including two vessels
which sank off Greece and in the Black Sea, respectively. The Minister said that nine crewmen on five
Maltese-flagged ships had died in incidents and another three had gone missing.
• 2 March 2004 Mr Jagdish Koonjul, Chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) which
represents 40 states in the United Nations, inaugurated a workshop organised by the Commonwealth
Secretariat and the University of Malta. The three-day workshop focussed on economic vulnerability and
resilience building of small states, and was held at the University, Gozo Centre.
• 3 March 2004 President Guido de Marco said that the solution to make this world a better place lay in the
consolidation, revitalisation and reform of the United Nations, making it an agile institution apt to respond
efficiently to the challenges facing the world at the dawn of the new millennium. Prof. de Marco was
addressing a lecture on a Second Generation United Nations, at St Petersburg State University, in Russia.
• 3 March 2004 Foreign Minister Joe Borg said that Malta and Lithuania held similar views regarding the
next enlargement of the EU on May 1. Both countries believe that a final solution to the EU constitution
treaty would be found by the end of this year. Dr Borg was fielding questions from reporters following a
joint news conference with the Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Antanas Valionis, in Malta on a brief visit.
• 3 March 2004 Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis said that Malta and Lithuania were the best
prepared out of the 10 accession states and that EU aid will push economic development forward. He
noted that, like Malta, whose geographic position is that of a border to North African countries, Lithuania
was a border in Eastern Europe to such countries as Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Maldova.
• 3 March 2004 Foreign Minister Joe Borg said that he was very satisfied with the portfolio assigned to him
as European Commissioner and he had no reservations about it. Indeed, said Dr Borg, that portfolio was
among the preferences he had indicated to EU Commissioner President Romano Prodi. The Minister was
replying to a parliamentary question.
• 3 March 2004 Foreign Minister Joe Borg said that Malta expects to have an income of €724,200 per year
from the member states of the European Economic Area and Norway over the five years following EU
membership. He said that the multilateral component would yield €384,000, while the bilateral component
with Norway would yield €340,200 per year. Dr Borg was replying to a parliamentary question.
• 3 March 2004 Transport and Communications Minister Censu Galea said that the Malta Maritime
Authority is equipped to carry out inspections on only 15% of the ships stopping over at Malta. "However,
there are plans to double the personnel and increase the inspectorate's human resources in the near future
so as to ensure compliance with maritime safety laws and to reinforce the inspectorate.” Dr Galea was
speaking at Le Meridien Phoenicia, in Floriana.