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2019/2954(RSP) Resolution on the rule of law in Malta following the recent revelations surrounding the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia

Progress: Procedure completed

Legal Basis:
RoP 132-p2

Events

2020/04/29
   EC - Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
SP(2020)105
2019/12/18
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
Documents
Results of vote in Parliament
2019/12/18
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 581 votes to 26, with 83 abstentions, a resolution on the rule of law in Malta following the recent revelations surrounding the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP, S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL groups.

As a reminder, the Maltese anti-corruption investigative journalist and blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated in a car bomb attack on 16 October 2017. The murder investigations led by the Maltese authorities, assisted by Europol, have so far led to the identification and arraignment of several suspects and one potential mastermind behind the murder, namely the owner of the Dubai-based company 17 Black Ltd., who was arrested on 20 November 2019 in an apparent attempt to escape Malta on his yacht. One of the alleged accomplices and the alleged mastermind have implicated the Prime Minister’s former Chief of Staff in the planning and funding of the murder.

These revelations have led to numerous large demonstrations and civil society protests in Malta, calling for justice, accountability and respect for the rule of law.

The Maltese Prime Minister has announced that he will resign after a party leadership election to be held on 12 January 2020 amid the growing political turmoil surrounding the murder investigation.

The European Parliament and several other international institutions have repeatedly expressed concerns over the impartiality of law enforcement, the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary in Malta.

Parliament is deeply concerned about the integrity and credibility of the investigations into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. It noted the widespread negative perceptions of the government’s actions in this regard, as well as the declining trust and credibility in the institutions.

It also deeply regretted that developments in Malta in recent years have led to serious and persistent threats to the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights, including freedom of the media, the independence of the police and judiciary, and the freedom of peaceful assembly. It regretted that the Commission in recent years has refrained from taking any concrete measures against the Maltese Government despite repeated calls by the European Parliament. It stated that Malta's failure to enact judicial reforms could serve as a basis for triggering an Article 7 procedure of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU).

Parliament called on the Commission to use all tools and procedures at its disposal in order to ensure full compliance with EU law vis-à-vis the fight against money laundering (especially in the areas of anti-money laundering investigation and enforcement and the independence of competent authorities), banking supervision, judicial independence, public procurement and planning and urban development. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is urged to cooperate with the Maltese and European authorities and to ensure that funds frozen in the bank accounts of 17 Black remain frozen until a thorough investigation has been conducted.

As regards investor citizenships and residence schemes, Members reiterated their call on Malta to terminate these schemes and to commission an independent, international investigation into the impact of this sale of citizenship and residence on the Maltese anti-money laundering enforcement capabilities, on further cross-border crime and on the integrity of the Schengen area.

Lastly, Parliament welcomed the endorsement by the Bureau of Parliament of the creation of a ‘European Daphne Caruana Galizia prize for investigative journalism’, to be awarded annually for outstanding investigative journalism in Europe.

Documents
T9-0103/2019
2019/12/18
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2019/12/17
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
B9-0240/2019
2019/12/17
   EP - Debate in Parliament
Documents
Debate in Parliament

Documents

Activities

Votes

B9-0240/2019 - § 8 #

2019/12/18 Outcome: +: 516, -: 104, 0: 69
DE ES RO FR NL GB PL PT EL BG CZ BE DK AT SE IE LT FI SI HR IT SK LU LV EE HU CY MT
Total
89
48
29
67
26
57
48
20
20
16
21
21
13
18
18
10
10
12
8
10
68
13
6
8
6
15
6
6
icon: PPE PPE
160

Germany PPE

24

Spain PPE

11

Romania PPE

13

France PPE

7

Netherlands PPE

6

Poland PPE

15

Portugal PPE

6

Greece PPE

8

Bulgaria PPE

6

Czechia PPE

5

Belgium PPE

4

Denmark PPE

For (1)

Pernille WEISS
1

Austria PPE

7

Sweden PPE

5

Ireland PPE

4

Lithuania PPE

3

Finland PPE

3

Slovenia PPE

4

Croatia PPE

4

Italy PPE

5

Slovakia PPE

4

Luxembourg PPE

2

Latvia PPE

For (1)

Inese VAIDERE

Against (1)

Sandra KALNIETE
2

Hungary PPE

For (1)

Kinga GÁL
7

Cyprus PPE

2

Malta PPE

2
icon: S&D S&D
147

Germany S&D

16

Spain S&D

Abstain (1)

Clara AGUILERA
19

Romania S&D

9

France S&D

3

Netherlands S&D

6

United Kingdom S&D

10

Poland S&D

7

Portugal S&D

9

Greece S&D

2

Bulgaria S&D

5

Belgium S&D

3

Denmark S&D

3

Austria S&D

5

Sweden S&D

5

Lithuania S&D

2

Finland S&D

1

Slovenia S&D

2

Croatia S&D

3

Italy S&D

18

Slovakia S&D

3

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

Marc ANGEL
1

Latvia S&D

2

Estonia S&D

2

Hungary S&D

5

Cyprus S&D

2

Malta S&D

4
icon: Renew Renew
106

Germany Renew

7

Spain Renew

8

Romania Renew

7

France Renew

21

Netherlands Renew

6

United Kingdom Renew

16

Bulgaria Renew

3

Czechia Renew

6

Belgium Renew

4

Denmark Renew

5

Austria Renew

For (1)

Claudia GAMON
1

Sweden Renew

3

Ireland Renew

For (1)

Billy KELLEHER
1

Lithuania Renew

2

Finland Renew

3

Slovenia Renew

2

Croatia Renew

For (1)

Valter FLEGO
1

Slovakia Renew

2

Luxembourg Renew

2

Latvia Renew

For (1)

Ivars IJABS
1

Estonia Renew

3

Hungary Renew

2
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
70

Germany Verts/ALE

24

Spain Verts/ALE

2

France Verts/ALE

11

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

9

Portugal Verts/ALE

1

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Austria Verts/ALE

2

Sweden Verts/ALE

2

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Lithuania Verts/ALE

2

Finland Verts/ALE

2

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

Tilly METZ
1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
36

Germany GUE/NGL

6

Spain GUE/NGL

5

France GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

Manon AUBRY
5

Netherlands GUE/NGL

For (1)

Anja HAZEKAMP
1

Portugal GUE/NGL

4

Greece GUE/NGL

6

Czechia GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

Kateřina KONEČNÁ
1

Belgium GUE/NGL

For (1)

Marc BOTENGA
1

Denmark GUE/NGL

1

Ireland GUE/NGL

3

Finland GUE/NGL

For (1)

Silvia MODIG
1

Cyprus GUE/NGL

Against (1)

Giorgos GEORGIOU

Abstain (1)

Niyazi KIZILYÜREK
2
icon: NI NI
41

Germany NI

1

United Kingdom NI

20

Greece NI

For (1)

Ioannis LAGOS
4

Croatia NI

Abstain (1)

Ivan Vilibor SINČIĆ
1

Italy NI

12

Slovakia NI

2

Hungary NI

1
icon: ECR ECR
59

Germany ECR

For (1)

Helmut GEUKING
1

Spain ECR

3

Netherlands ECR

4

United Kingdom ECR

2

Poland ECR

26

Bulgaria ECR

2

Czechia ECR

4

Belgium ECR

3

Sweden ECR

3

Lithuania ECR

Abstain (1)

Waldemar TOMASZEWSKI
1

Croatia ECR

Abstain (1)

Ruža TOMAŠIĆ
1

Italy ECR

5

Slovakia ECR

2

Latvia ECR

2
icon: ID ID
70

Germany ID

10

France ID

20

Czechia ID

Against (1)

Hynek BLAŠKO

Abstain (1)

Ivan DAVID
2

Belgium ID

3

Denmark ID

Abstain (1)

Peter KOFOD
1

Austria ID

3

Finland ID

2

Italy ID

28

Estonia ID

Against (1)

Jaak MADISON
1

B9-0240/2019 - Résolution #

2019/12/18 Outcome: +: 581, 0: 83, -: 26
DE PL FR ES IT RO NL GB BE SE CZ PT BG EL HU AT DK SK LT HR IE LV FI SI CY LU EE MT
Total
89
49
67
47
67
28
26
59
21
18
21
20
17
19
17
18
13
12
10
10
10
8
12
8
6
6
6
6
icon: PPE PPE
163

Germany PPE

24

Poland PPE

16

France PPE

7

Spain PPE

11

Italy PPE

5

Romania PPE

13

Netherlands PPE

6

Belgium PPE

4

Sweden PPE

5

Czechia PPE

5

Portugal PPE

6

Bulgaria PPE

7

Greece PPE

7

Hungary PPE

9

Austria PPE

7

Denmark PPE

For (1)

Pernille WEISS
1

Slovakia PPE

4

Lithuania PPE

3

Croatia PPE

4

Ireland PPE

4

Latvia PPE

2

Finland PPE

3

Slovenia PPE

4

Cyprus PPE

2

Luxembourg PPE

2

Malta PPE

2
icon: S&D S&D
144

Germany S&D

16

Poland S&D

7

France S&D

3

Spain S&D

18

Italy S&D

18

Romania S&D

Abstain (1)

Carmen AVRAM
8

Netherlands S&D

6

United Kingdom S&D

10

Belgium S&D

3

Sweden S&D

5

Portugal S&D

9

Bulgaria S&D

5

Greece S&D

2

Hungary S&D

5

Austria S&D

5

Denmark S&D

3

Slovakia S&D

2

Lithuania S&D

2

Croatia S&D

3

Latvia S&D

2

Finland S&D

1

Slovenia S&D

2

Cyprus S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

Marc ANGEL
1

Estonia S&D

2

Malta S&D

4
icon: Renew Renew
105

Germany Renew

7

France Renew

20

Spain Renew

8

Romania Renew

7

Netherlands Renew

6

United Kingdom Renew

16

Belgium Renew

4

Sweden Renew

3

Czechia Renew

6

Bulgaria Renew

3

Hungary Renew

2

Austria Renew

For (1)

Claudia GAMON
1

Denmark Renew

5

Slovakia Renew

2

Lithuania Renew

2

Croatia Renew

For (1)

Valter FLEGO
1

Ireland Renew

For (1)

Billy KELLEHER
1

Latvia Renew

For (1)

Ivars IJABS
1

Finland Renew

3

Slovenia Renew

2

Luxembourg Renew

2

Estonia Renew

3
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
70

Germany Verts/ALE

24

France Verts/ALE

11

Spain Verts/ALE

2

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

9

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Sweden Verts/ALE

2

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Portugal Verts/ALE

1

Austria Verts/ALE

2

Denmark Verts/ALE

2

Lithuania Verts/ALE

2

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Finland Verts/ALE

2

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

Tilly METZ
1
icon: ECR ECR
59

Germany ECR

For (1)

Helmut GEUKING
1

Poland ECR

Abstain (1)

Anna FOTYGA
26

Spain ECR

3

Italy ECR

5

Netherlands ECR

4

United Kingdom ECR

2

Belgium ECR

3

Sweden ECR

3

Czechia ECR

4

Bulgaria ECR

2

Slovakia ECR

2

Lithuania ECR

1

Croatia ECR

For (1)

Ruža TOMAŠIĆ
1

Latvia ECR

2
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
37

Germany GUE/NGL

6

France GUE/NGL

6

Spain GUE/NGL

5

Netherlands GUE/NGL

For (1)

Anja HAZEKAMP
1

Belgium GUE/NGL

For (1)

Marc BOTENGA
1

Czechia GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

Kateřina KONEČNÁ
1

Portugal GUE/NGL

4

Greece GUE/NGL

6

Denmark GUE/NGL

1

Ireland GUE/NGL

3

Finland GUE/NGL

For (1)

Silvia MODIG
1

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2
icon: NI NI
42

Germany NI

1

Italy NI

11

United Kingdom NI

22

Greece NI

4

Hungary NI

1

Slovakia NI

For (1)

Milan UHRÍK

Against (1)

Miroslav RADAČOVSKÝ
2

Croatia NI

1
icon: ID ID
70

Germany ID

10

France ID

20

Italy ID

28

Belgium ID

3

Czechia ID

Abstain (2)

Hynek BLAŠKO, Ivan DAVID
2

Austria ID

3

Denmark ID

Abstain (1)

Peter KOFOD
1

Finland ID

2

Estonia ID

Abstain (1)

Jaak MADISON
1

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

2021-12-18Show (6) Changes | Timetravel
docs/0/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2019-0240_EN.html
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2019-0240_EN.html
docs/1
date
2020-04-29T00:00:00
docs
url: /oeil/spdoc.do?i=45585&j=0&l=en title: SP(2020)105
type
Commission response to text adopted in plenary
body
EC
events/0/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20191217&type=CRE
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/CRE-9-2019-12-17-TOC_EN.html
events/1
date
2019-12-18T00:00:00
type
Results of vote in Parliament
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events/1
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type
Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
docs
url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2019-0103_EN.html title: T9-0103/2019
summary
events/2
date
2019-12-18T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2019-0103_EN.html title: T9-0103/2019
summary
2020-01-19Show (2) Changes
docs/1
date
2019-12-18T00:00:00
docs
url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2019-0103_EN.html title: T9-0103/2019
type
Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
body
EP
events/1/summary
  • The European Parliament adopted by 581 votes to 26, with 83 abstentions, a resolution on the rule of law in Malta following the recent revelations surrounding the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.
  • The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP, S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL groups.
  • As a reminder, the Maltese anti-corruption investigative journalist and blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated in a car bomb attack on 16 October 2017. The murder investigations led by the Maltese authorities, assisted by Europol, have so far led to the identification and arraignment of several suspects and one potential mastermind behind the murder, namely the owner of the Dubai-based company 17 Black Ltd., who was arrested on 20 November 2019 in an apparent attempt to escape Malta on his yacht. One of the alleged accomplices and the alleged mastermind have implicated the Prime Minister’s former Chief of Staff in the planning and funding of the murder.
  • These revelations have led to numerous large demonstrations and civil society protests in Malta, calling for justice, accountability and respect for the rule of law.
  • The Maltese Prime Minister has announced that he will resign after a party leadership election to be held on 12 January 2020 amid the growing political turmoil surrounding the murder investigation.
  • The European Parliament and several other international institutions have repeatedly expressed concerns over the impartiality of law enforcement, the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary in Malta.
  • Parliament is deeply concerned about the integrity and credibility of the investigations into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. It noted the widespread negative perceptions of the government’s actions in this regard, as well as the declining trust and credibility in the institutions.
  • It also deeply regretted that developments in Malta in recent years have led to serious and persistent threats to the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights, including freedom of the media, the independence of the police and judiciary, and the freedom of peaceful assembly. It regretted that the Commission in recent years has refrained from taking any concrete measures against the Maltese Government despite repeated calls by the European Parliament. It stated that Malta's failure to enact judicial reforms could serve as a basis for triggering an Article 7 procedure of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU).
  • Parliament called on the Commission to use all tools and procedures at its disposal in order to ensure full compliance with EU law vis-à-vis the fight against money laundering (especially in the areas of anti-money laundering investigation and enforcement and the independence of competent authorities), banking supervision, judicial independence, public procurement and planning and urban development. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is urged to cooperate with the Maltese and European authorities and to ensure that funds frozen in the bank accounts of 17 Black remain frozen until a thorough investigation has been conducted.
  • As regards investor citizenships and residence schemes, Members reiterated their call on Malta to terminate these schemes and to commission an independent, international investigation into the impact of this sale of citizenship and residence on the Maltese anti-money laundering enforcement capabilities, on further cross-border crime and on the integrity of the Schengen area.
  • Lastly, Parliament welcomed the endorsement by the Bureau of Parliament of the creation of a ‘European Daphne Caruana Galizia prize for investigative journalism’, to be awarded annually for outstanding investigative journalism in Europe.
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