Letters | Sunday, 22 March 2009

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MEPs’ vote on gaming resolution

I refer to the article ‘Malta’s MEPs abstain on Gambling Resolution’ (15 March 2009). Allow me to make the following clarification since the article may unintentionally have presented a misleading picture of my position on gaming.
During the last European Parliament plenary earlier this month, MEPs were asked to vote on a resolution concerning the integrity of online gambling.
I had been following this issue in conjunction with the Maltese government from the very first time that it was put on the parliamentary agenda. Even before the plenary vote, at committee level, a majority of MEPs adopted a resolution which was not sufficiently favourable to the interests of our gaming industry in Malta.
For this reason, a number of colleagues and myself decided to take the initiative to table an “alternative resolution” to replace the one that was adopted at committee level. I personally co-signed this alternative resolution because it was more favourable to our industry.
Nevertheless, in plenary, our alternative resolution was rejected and instead a majority of MEPs supported the original resolution.
MEPs David Casa, Louis Grech and myself voted in favour on the alternative resolution and abstained on the original resolution. I abstained rather than vote against the original resolution because it included some positive aspects which I could not reject, such as the integrity of gaming and the need to combat fraud in the best interests of consumers.
I believe that my commitment to support the gaming industry in Malta is clear from this episode. Over the years, I have sought to keep contact with the Maltese authorities as well as with stakeholders in the industry both at a local and European level. My motivation is to support an industry which is creating a large number of jobs in Malta.

Simon Busuttil MEP
Brussels

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