Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Evarist Bartolo and Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi launched the Government of Malta’s action plan in preparation for BREXIT.
At a press conference, with the participation of the President of the Chamber of Commerce, David Xuereb, and the Director General of the EU Coordination Department, Glenn Micallef, they presented the action plan document, which comprehensively covers all ongoing preparations to ensure everyone’s readiness for any scenario related to BREXIT.
The action plan covers the most important areas including transport, travel and connectivity with the UK. It also refers to the rights of citizens, both Maltese living in the United Kingdom and British citizens residing in Malta.
On trade, the document provides information on the impact of the rules for the import and export of goods and services, the impact on the professional qualifications of employees, and also on the new procedures and tariffs that will apply from January 1, 2021.
In this context, the action plan explains in detail the assistance that the government is offering through its entities, such as the professional assistance provided by Malta Enterprise to companies in order to mitigate the impact of Brexit on their operations.
In his address, Minister Evarist Bartolo said that while we should allow the EU’s special delegate to negotiate on our behalf on matters which fall within the Union’s competences, as a sovereign state we must also pay attention to our bilateral relations with the UK, which date back more than two centuries. In this context, he referred to the existing arrangements between the two countries with regard to health and special care, which the government intends to strengthen in order to safeguard the best interests of its citizens, irrespective of the outcome of negotiations at the EU level.
Parliamentary Secretary Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi said that the government is ensuring that irrespective of whether we have an agreement on the UK’s future relations with the European Union, Malta will be ready for every eventuality, both on the part of the government, as well as all private sectors. The parliamentary secretary continued by highlighting the importance of the private sector ensuring that all steps are taken to prepare for changes in the very near future. He added that the government has taken all measures in order to increase administrative resources in entities such as the customs department where courses aimed at commercial entities are being prepared in case they are requested.
For more information one should follow the official pages of the ‘Brexit – Be Prepared’ campaign and access the website www.brexit.gov.mt. Direct assistance is also being provided to citizens and businesses, both via the Brexit helpline 153 and via e-mail at brexit@gov.mt where individual questions are being answered specifically.