Cecilia Malmström and TTIP: Neonicotinoids will remain banned in the EU

As a Trainee with the European Commission, I have the luxury of coming into close contact with several high ranking EU officials, include European Commissioners. During a recent conference, we had the pleasure of experiencing an interesting talk by the European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström, who discussed various topics including the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). During the Q&A, I asked Ms Malmström about the future of neonicotinoid chemicals in the EU.

(Photo credit: eurActiv)

I had written about these chemicals in a post back in 2013, a couple of days before the European Commission partially banned the use of these chemicals to safeguard bee populations. As with many Commission issued bans, their implementation is rarely ever linear, as a 2014 article hinted at a lack of enforcement of the ban at a national level.

Irrespective of these internal European issues surrounding the use of neonictonoids, the chemicals are effectively partially banned. However, concerns have been raised at the possibility of their reintroduction following continued negotiations on TTIP with the US.

Back in April 2014, then German MEP Hiltrud Beyner (part of the European Greens Party) asked a written question to the European Commission concerning an interview in which the COO of Syngenta John Atlkin, said that he wanted to annul the partial ban on neonicotinoids through the TTIP.

In its response, the Commission stated that “These negotiations are not about compromising the health of our consumers for commercial gains. We will not negotiate changes of the basic rules that we do not want on either side”.

Despite this, it was recently reported that US trade officials pushed the EU to drop pesticide laws that it was planning to regulate regarding the use of endocrine-disrupting chemicals linked to cancer and male infertility, in order to facilitate TTIP free trade deal. This move renewed concerns regarding the possibility of neonicotonoids being reintroduced in the EU, amid possible pressures from US pesticide companies.

In response to this, I asked Commissioner Malmström if we should expect such a reintroduction. Her response was a resounding NO – if neonicotonoids have already been partially banned in the EU, they will stay partially banned irrespective of the agreements to be negotiated in TTIP.

This statement will hopefully dispel any future concerns that European environmental groups may have, guaranteeing a future for European bee populations. Additionally, it is hoped that national governments in each EU member state will move ahead with the proper regulation and enforcement on the use of these chemicals in the near future.

US Embassy in Malta: Ambassador supports education, no involvement with setting up AUM

In a previous post, I voiced my concern and distaste at the presence of US Ambassador to Malta Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley at the signing of agreement for the (fake) American University of Malta. The US Embassy has since replied to my post via their twitter account.

I find this reply very indicative of the Ambassador’s behaviour more than anything else. DePaul University confirmed once and for all that they were merely subcontracted by the Middle Eastern company SEI to provide them with the curricula for these ten programmes at AUM.

So why was the US Ambassador present at the agreement signing? Because the embassy wants us to believe that she supports education – even if it entails a project that has been conceived secretly and abusively by the government. Maybe she just didn’t want to be left out, despite the fact that the USA had absolutely no affiliation with this project. Or maybe she wanted to be there to applaud the Middle Eastern investors that have just bought a 90,000 square metre land parcel without the consent of the public – Yay Education!!!! She must be familiar with the Middle Eastern business dealings, she did serve as Consul General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia after all.

Her presence only reinforces the Maltese Government’s corrupt and secretive business ethic. She simply should not have been there, as this university has nothing to do with DePaul University and America. AUM might be using American curricula, but education is not just about the subject content but also delivery of that content. DePaul University has already confirmed that it will not be involved in the hiring of staff or AUM’s operations.

Someone like Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley who ‘supports education’ should know as much, so I think it would be ideal for her to release some form of official statement as opposed to floundering about on social media.

I wonder how Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley will react once it surfaces that this whole AUM project was a scam? It eventually will, the minute the first luxury hotel pops up next to the university campus. We can expect a selfie of her at the AUM campus – #AlmostAmericanEducation #noAmericaninsight #StudyAbroad #whatcorruption?

US Ambassador to Malta supports the abusive construction of AUM on public land

It has just occurred to me that Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, US Ambassador to Malta, was present at the press conference relating to the signing of this ‘American University of Malta’. Even though this new university has nothing to do with Chicago’s DePaul University, the presence of the American ambassador is pandering to the Maltese Government’s vision of environmental degradation.

US Ambassador to Malta tweets from the signing of agreement for a university that will effectively steal public natural space from the citizens of Malta.

It has been confirmed that the secret agreement for this new university has been signed between the Maltese Government and a Middle Eastern construction company.

This effectively means that the new university will not be called DePaul University Malta, but we already knew that since the university logo was splashed at that agreement signing on Tuesday. They even printed a bloody flag. So this new university will only be providing courses based on material furnished by DePaul University, and any degree or diploma issued by AUM will not be accredited by DePaul University.

This is the total opposite of London’s Middlesex University, which operates a campus in Malta under its own name, and therefore all awards issued by the Malta campus would be issued by the university in London. So this new university that will be built on virgin land to the detriment of the public, is basically a second-rate educational establishment. It reminds me a bit of those tribute acts that charge you a fee for singing someone else’s tunes.

Even though the government said it is ‘considering’ new locations for this new university, the deed has been done and public natural space has been sold to a Middle Eastern construction company to build an American university that is anything but American.

Yet, Gina Abercrombie-Winstanely calls this a ‘thrilling partnership’, and applauds the secrecy with which the government conducts its business, and the utter disrespect that it has for the public and the environment. Thank you Gina, and thank you America. Someone from the local media should really ring her up and ask her what she thinks about the location of this university.