NOTHING
TO LOOSE, BUT MUCH MORE TO GAIN
The commitment and implementation of pertinent
environmental policies is another standard which improves our delivery
as a nation, being an added value to ensuring our competitiveness,
internally and beyond
by
Censu Galea
Minister for Competitiveness and Communications
www.mcmp.gov.mt
Standards and the Consumer
I am confident that each and every one of us, at some stage
or another, has expressed to himself, or herself, the desire that
our nation’s overall delivery, within all of its sectors,
is enhanced to the extent that their respective performances reach
optimal conditions. This in some way or another, I believe, reflects
the common belief that we share between us. It is of a mutual understanding
that service providers deliver a highly satisfactory service to
their customers, and at the end line, that the customer receives
a high level of service from its provider. This is all about standards.
We seek in our every day life to ensure that what we, as citizens,
consume or make use of services or products carrying the highest
attainable standards. It is ourselves who have realized that as
consumers, we have fundamental rights, which have to be observed.
That is why, in fact, many public and private institutions today
house within their structure centres of customer care, have achieved
performance certification in the areas of their individual competence,
or restructured their operations to make sure that they meet up
to today’s required standards. Within an ever-changing world,
these elements are vital to their overall performance and their
customers’ satisfaction.
Being competitive
This is what standards are all about. If we are aiming at enhancing
our nation’s overall delivery, standards are one of the main
pillars upon which one has to base his relevant operations. To my
view, the term ‘competitiveness’, for which I am responsible
as Minister, is an area which should not be referred to just for
the sake of doing so, but one has to delve deep into its real significance
and in deriving its main components, discusses with all those concerned
the ideal objectives to focus upon.
Therefore, as optimal delivery by service providers is acquired
through, amongst others, the certification of standards, competitiveness
lies in a constant symbiosis with the implementation of this concept.
A Sustainable Development
Sustainable development, which today governments around Europe view
as one of their priorities, being also integrated into the European
Union objectives, calls for the use of a wider range of tools for
environmental policy. In fact the 6th Community Environmental Action
Programme, "Environment 2010: Our Future, Our Choice",
recognises this and aims to be a programme that "completes
and reinforces our body of environmental legislation” whilst
doing “more in terms of mobilising stakeholders for the environment
and 'greening' the market". Activities, products and services
carrying, amongst others, the correct environmental obligations
are of an added benefit to a sustainable development.
Within this concept, an environmental policy can be achieved through
the promotion of information, an awareness and commitment with citizens
and the business community, the right incentives for environmental
improvements in the market place and ensuring the integration of
the environment into other policies. We have already, as a nation,
made giant strides ahead within these parameters…but yet,
together, much more still has to be done.
An Environmental Awareness
The environmental awareness present around us in Malta is a result
of what we have been advocating throughout these years – that
is a sustainable and cleaner environment. A few years ago, the environment
was a mere non-issue amongst our citizens; a few years later it
became a priority. And therefore the commitment to, and the respective
implementation of pertinent environmental policies is another standard
which improves our delivery as a nation, and therefore an added
value to ensuring our competitiveness, internally and beyond. This
Government’s main goals are bi-fold concentrating besides
several other factors, mainly on ‘competitiveness’ and
the ‘environment’, and the commitment of those present
during an EMAS Standard Seminar held this week by the European Commission
and the Malta Standards Authority, was a clear manifestation of
their pledge in collaborating to the attainment of our aims.
Ten years after their inception, it is a recognised fact that Local
Councils are key players in our daily life, instilling the concept
of having a local government close to its citizens. Therefore, as
a result of such, they also have an important influence on the environmental
behaviour of their locality.
Other Authorities present during the Seminar, who have also, together
with a number of Local Councils, shown their commitment to the implementation
of this scheme, are main elements of our country’s service
providers.
Environmental Standards
It is therefore with this in mind that The Malta Standards Authority
together with the Directorate General for Environment of the European
Commission has organised this workshop on the Eco-Management Audit
Scheme, widely known as EMAS, specifically targeted for local councils
and authorities.
The introduction of such environmental management systems within
Local Councils and Authorities can help them achieve this by providing
a structured framework for managing and improving their own performance,
whilst integrating the aims of sustainable development into their
policies and actions. This scheme is now also being utilised by
local councils around Europe as a system that leads to the improvement
of the environment in their locality.
As I already had the occasion of explaining when launching this
project for the very first time, a few weeks ago, the Eco-Management
and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a voluntary scheme for organizations
willing to commit themselves to evaluate and improve their environmental
performance. EMAS Regulations came into force in Malta on 1st May
2004 and as a result of this, ST Microelectronics (Malta) was one
of the very first companies within the new EU member states to benefit
from the certification.
The MSA has been provided with over 300,000 Euros in EU funds to
promote the scheme to Authorities and businesses whilst also supporting
Local Councils for its implementation. Time is ripe for action,
and everyone shoulders the responsibility to accomplish our common
aims.
A national commitment
One has to also note a good number of Local Councils including,
Naxxar, Qrendi, Victoria, Gozo, Pieta’, Marsa, Lija, Tarxien,
Mellieha, Marsascala, Msida, Gharghur, Saint Julian’s, Fgura,
Kirkop, Santa Venera, Xaghra and Senglea together with domestic
authorities such as the Water Services Corporation, the Malta Environmental
and Planning Agency (MEPA), WasteServ, the Malta Tourism Authority,
Malta Enterprise, the Department of Local Government and others
have realised the benefits of an environmental audit and certification,
as being of paramount importance to their credibility and performance
when acting as service providers.
Tourism is a case in point. With one third of our economy depending
entirely upon the provision of tourism services, Malta has to keep
abreast of European and worldwide standards thus ensuring that it
is on a level playing field when competing with others in the attraction
of potential tourists.
What we are aiming at
Since last April, the Malta Standards Authority, for which I am
also responsible, was established as the EU EMAS competent body
for Malta and today’s workshop, I underline, is a further
step in the right direction. It is creating awareness to the acquisition
of standards, coupled with the assurance of an optimal delivery
of service, which lead to our aim of competitiveness. I sincerely
hope that many other will follow suit, and recognise that these
are today’s requirements – no one can afford to be left
behind.
The future
We are living within a market of 450 million consumers, surrounded
by a vast number of entities providing an array of vital, essential
or occasional services. Be it providers on behalf of the government,
the private or any other public entity, we have all, in some way
or another have sought to make use of their service.
A sustainable development within a competitive market is of a priority
to this Government. I am confident that the commitment of all those
willing to implement standards in the proceedings of their operations,
can translate concepts and ideals into realities, this can be done
through the realisation of our choices.
We have nothing to loose, but much more to gain.
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