BETA


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
2019/12/18
   EP - 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
2019/12/18
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2019/12/17
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2019/12/17
   EP - 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

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE

2

Latvia PPE

For (1)

Against (1)

2
2

Malta PPE

2
icon: S&D S&D
147

Greece S&D

2

Lithuania S&D

2

Finland S&D

1

Slovenia S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Latvia S&D

2

Estonia S&D

2

Cyprus S&D

2
icon: Renew Renew
106

Austria Renew

For (1)

1

Ireland Renew

For (1)

1

Lithuania Renew

2

Finland Renew

3

Slovenia Renew

2

Croatia Renew

For (1)

1

Slovakia Renew

2

Luxembourg Renew

2

Latvia Renew

For (1)

1

Estonia Renew

3

Hungary Renew

2
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
70

Spain Verts/ALE

2

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

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)

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
36

Netherlands GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Portugal GUE/NGL

4

Czechia GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Belgium GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Denmark GUE/NGL

1

Ireland GUE/NGL

3

Finland GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Cyprus GUE/NGL

Against (1)

Abstain (1)

2
icon: NI NI
41

Germany NI

1

Croatia NI

Abstain (1)

1

Slovakia NI

2

Hungary NI

1
icon: ECR ECR
59

Germany ECR

For (1)

1

Netherlands ECR

4

United Kingdom ECR

2

Bulgaria ECR

2
3

Lithuania ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Croatia ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Slovakia ECR

2

Latvia ECR

2
icon: ID ID
70

Czechia ID

Against (1)

Abstain (1)

2

Denmark ID

Abstain (1)

1

Austria ID

3

Finland ID

2

Estonia ID

Against (1)

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

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Latvia PPE

2
2

Luxembourg PPE

2

Malta PPE

2
icon: S&D S&D
144

Greece S&D

2

Slovakia S&D

2

Lithuania S&D

2

Latvia S&D

2

Finland S&D

1

Slovenia S&D

2

Cyprus S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Estonia S&D

2
icon: Renew Renew
105

Hungary Renew

2

Austria Renew

For (1)

1

Slovakia Renew

2

Lithuania Renew

2

Croatia Renew

For (1)

1

Ireland Renew

For (1)

1

Latvia Renew

For (1)

1

Finland Renew

3

Slovenia Renew

2

Luxembourg Renew

2

Estonia Renew

3
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
70

Spain Verts/ALE

2

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

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)

1
icon: ECR ECR
59

Germany ECR

For (1)

1

United Kingdom ECR

2

Bulgaria ECR

2

Lithuania ECR

1

Croatia ECR

For (1)

1

Latvia ECR

2
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
37

Netherlands GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Belgium GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Czechia GUE/NGL

Abstain (1)

1

Portugal GUE/NGL

4

Denmark GUE/NGL

1

Ireland GUE/NGL

3

Finland GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2
icon: NI NI
42

Germany NI

1

Hungary NI

1

Slovakia NI

For (1)

Against (1)

2

Croatia NI

1
icon: ID ID
70

Czechia ID

Abstain (2)

2

Austria ID

3

Denmark ID

Abstain (1)

1

Finland ID

2

Estonia ID

Abstain (1)

1

History

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

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
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Commission response to text adopted in plenary
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EC
events/0/docs/0/url
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http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20191217&type=CRE
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https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/CRE-9-2019-12-17-TOC_EN.html
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2019-12-18T00:00:00
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type
Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
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url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2019-0103_EN.html title: T9-0103/2019
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type
Decision by Parliament
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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.