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Changes for Malta? (yes, Malta :) )

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  • 11-06-2008 7:57pm
    #1
    DeVore
    Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    I have a mate who is very politically active in Malta but like most places they havent studied the treaty there because it was passed by the government.

    However I noticed someone saying that Malta is particularly hard hit by some of the changes and wanted to chase up on that assertion.


    Can anyone who happens to know give me the 101 on what this means for them? Are they losing something more then everyone else?

    DeV.


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    #2
    sink
    Registered Users Posts: 4,314 ✭✭✭sink


    Not that i'm aware of. They actually gain relative QMV voting weight in relation to most countries.


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    #3
    Agent Smith
    Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 21,502 Mod ✭✭✭✭Agent Smith


    Disregard

    I totally forgot about nice


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    #4
    turgon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,762 ✭✭✭turgon


    Well apparently Ireland's voting weight is halved, and Germany's is doubled. So I would imagine that Malta voting strength is well reduced too. As the least populace country they have the least voting strength and least number of MEP's (five before Lisbon, three after)


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    #5
    turgon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,762 ✭✭✭turgon


    Agent Smith wrote: »
    They will (post lisbon) have the same amount of commisinors as France/Germany/UK, Unlike the 1 they have now, compared to the 2 France/Germany/UK Have at present.
    Like all other countrys, the commisnor will sit for 10 out of 15 years.

    Agent Smith, at present each country has only one commissioner. That system of some having 2 was removed some years back.


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    #6
    sink
    Registered Users Posts: 4,314 ✭✭✭sink


    turgon wrote: »
    Agent Smith, at present each country has only one commissioner. That system of some having 2 was removed some years back.

    2002 Nice treaty!


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    #7
    The_Minister
    Registered Users Posts: 10,255 ✭✭✭✭The_Minister


    Agent Smith wrote: »
    They will (post lisbon) have the same amount of commisinors as France/Germany/UK, Unlike the 1 they have now, compared to the 2 France/Germany/UK Have at present.
    Like all other countrys, the commisnor will sit for 10 out of 15 years.

    Respectfully, I think that you are wrong.
    The big countries only have one commissioner.

    EDIT: Beaten to it.


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    #8
    sink
    Registered Users Posts: 4,314 ✭✭✭sink


    turgon wrote: »
    Well apparently Ireland's voting weight is halved, and Germany's is doubled. So I would imagine that Malta voting strength is well reduced too. As the least populace country they have the least voting strength and least number of MEP's (five before Lisbon, three after)

    Completely wrong.The council at the moment has a QMV system which give each state a weighted vote which does not match their population size (e.g. Germany has 16% if the population but only has 8% of the vote, Ireland has 0.8% of the population but has 2% of the vote) and a 75% majority is required. It replaces this with a double QMV system whereby there are two requirements for legislation to pass. First it has to have 55% of member states in agreement, this currently gives each member state an equal 3.75% say. Second those member states in favour must represent at least 65% of the population, so here we have 0.8% weight and Germany has 16% weight. This double QMV the voting system roughly balanced in favour of smaller countries as it did before, in that an individual Irish citizens vote is still slightly more powerful than a German citizens.

    IRLConor did a full analysis of the impact the new QMV system will have for relative voting weights.
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=56206935&postcount=4


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    #9
    IRLConor
    Subscribers Posts: 4,075 ✭✭✭IRLConor


    In the parliament, they're going from 5 seats to 6 seats.

    In the council, they're doing better than everyone else. See the entries in the analysis I did which sink has linked to.

    In the commission, they get an equal share (a commissioner 2/3s of the time) just like the rest of us.



    Anyone who says they're losing out is talking out of their arse. They're doing better than any other country from what I can see.


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    #10
    turgon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,762 ✭✭✭turgon


    IRLConor wrote: »
    In the parliament, they're going from 5 seats to 6 seats.

    But I thought they were reducing the amount of MEP's overall? Is there any website for this?? (sorry if I'm a pain, I'm just curious!!)


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    #11
    sink
    Registered Users Posts: 4,314 ✭✭✭sink


    turgon wrote: »
    But I thought they were reducing the amount of MEP's overall? Is there any website for this?? (sorry if I'm a pain, I'm just curious!!)

    The parliament will be capped permanently at 750, it currently has 785 members. But the Minimum number of MEP's for any country is raised from 5 to 6 and the maximum is lowered from 99 to 96.

    http://euobserver.com/9/25001


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    #12
    IRLConor
    Subscribers Posts: 4,075 ✭✭✭IRLConor


    turgon wrote: »
    But I thought they were reducing the amount of MEP's overall? Is there any website for this?? (sorry if I'm a pain, I'm just curious!!)

    They are, but they're upping the minimum number of MEPs per nation and lowering the maximum.
    Treaty on European Union Article 14 (2) {post-Lisbon} wrote:
    The European Parliament shall be composed of representatives of the Union’s citizens. They shall not exceed seven hundred and fifty in number, plus the President. Representation of citizens shall be degressively proportional, with a minimum threshold of six members per Member State. No Member State shall be allocated more than ninety-six seats.

    Since Malta is so small, it will always get the minimum. The old minimum was 5, the new minimum is 6.


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    #13
    Agent Smith
    Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 21,502 Mod ✭✭✭✭Agent Smith


    blegh I totally forgot about the Nice Treaty! Disregard my statement.


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    #14
    Scofflaw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,283 ✭✭✭✭Scofflaw


    turgon wrote: »
    But I thought they were reducing the amount of MEP's overall? Is there any website for this?? (sorry if I'm a pain, I'm just curious!!)

    Actually, all that happens in Lisbon is an increase in the minimum MEPs per country goes from 5 to 6, and the maximum down from 99 to 96.

    The total number of members is being reduced, and Ireland losing one MEP, but that, once again, is in Nice, in the Protocol on Enlargement:
    1. On 1 January 2004 and with effect from the start of the 2004 to 2009 term, in Article 190(2) of the Treaty establishing the European Community and in Article 108(2) of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, the first subparagraph shall be replaced by the following: ‘The number of representatives elected in each Member State shall be as follows:
    Belgium 22
    Denmark 13
    Germany 99
    Greece 22
    Spain 50
    France 72
    Ireland 12
    Italy 72
    Luxembourg 6
    Netherlands 25
    Austria 17
    Portugal 22
    Finland 13
    Sweden 18
    United Kingdom 72’.

    2. Subject to paragraph 3, the total number of representatives in the European Parliament for the 2004 to 2009 term shall be equal to the number of representatives specified in Article 190(2) of the Treaty establishing the European Community and in Article 108(2) of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community plus the number of representatives of the new Member States resulting from the accession treaties signed by 1 January 2004 at the latest.

    3. If the total number of members referred to in paragraph 2 is less than 732, a pro rata correction shall be applied to the number of representatives to be elected in each Member State, so that the total number is as close as possible to 732, without such a correction leading to the number of representatives to be elected in each Member State being higher than that provided for in Article 190(2) of the Treaty establishing the European Community and in Article 108(2) of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community for the 1999 to 2004 term.
    The Council shall adopt a decision to that effect.

    4. By way of derogation from the second paragraph of Article 189 of the Treaty establishing the European Community and from the second paragraph of Article 107 of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community, in the event of the entry into force of accession treaties after the adoption of the Council decision provided for in the second subparagraph of paragraph 3 of this Article, the number of members of the European Parliament may temporarily exceed 732 for the period for which that decision applies. The same correction as that referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 3 of this Article shall be applied to the number of representatives to be elected in the Member States in question.

    cordially,
    Scofflaw


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    #15
    turgon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,762 ✭✭✭turgon


    Riveting stuff!!! Thanks Scofflaw


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    #16
    Scofflaw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,283 ✭✭✭✭Scofflaw


    turgon wrote: »
    Riveting stuff!!! Thanks Scofflaw

    I know - it's so catchy they should set it to music. Not.

    Still, it boils down to something fairly simple. As far as I know, we're expected to get the 13th MEP back at the next review, if our populations trends continue.

    cordially,
    Scofflaw


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    #17
    turgon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,762 ✭✭✭turgon


    So we should start a Mussolini style "Battle of Births" with a view to getting increased representation. I doubt many people would complain. ;)


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