Malta Sociological Association

The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) welcomes the development of the Gender Action Plan IV and supports the EUs commitment to gender equality in its external action. The MSA recommends the systematic integration of Social Impact Assessment (SIA) within GAP IV.

The Malta Sociological Association welcomes this initiative, particularly with respect to the inclusion of impact assessment. In this regard, we believe that that Social Impact Assessments (SIAs) should be incorporated and mainstream in this policy process. SIAs should not be one-off exercises.

The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) notes the European Commission's initiative to develop a European Ocean Research and Innovation Strategy and recognises its importance in supporting sustainable, resilient and evidence-informed ocean governance.

The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) notes the European Commission's proposal to update the minimum training requirements and duration of specialist training for specialist doctors and midwives under the Professional Qualifications Directive. These amendments represent an important step towards facilitating the automatic recognition of professional qualifications across the European Union.

The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) notes the European Commission's initiative to identify opportunities for simplification, better implementation, and the reduction of unnecessary administrative burdens affecting citizens. The MSA emphasizes that efforts to streamline legislation and public administration should be informed by robust Social Impact Assessment (SIA).

The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) notes the European Commission's initiative to simplify the implementation of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) and to transpose the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies into EU law. While reducing unnecessary administrative burdens is important, regulatory simplification should not overlook the social dimensions of fisheries and maritime policy.

The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) notes the proposed update to the European List of Ship Recycling Facilities and recognises its importance in promoting environmentally sound and safe ship recycling across the European Union.

Malta operates with a relatively integrated personal identity infrastructure, including universal personal identification numbers used across government departments throughout individuals lifetimes. This may facilitate cross-border data sharing and implementation of the European Health Data Space (EHDS).

The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) notes the European Commission's initiative on financial compensation under the EU Emissions Trading System for buildings, road transport and additional sectors (ETS2), recognising its importance in supporting a fair and socially just transition to climate neutrality.

The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) notes the proposed update to the list of neighbouring container transhipment ports under the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and supports measures that safeguard the environmental integrity of the ETS while ensuring fair competition across the maritime sector.

The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) notes the proposed update to the list of neighbouring container transhipment ports under the FuelEU Maritime Regulation and supports measures that safeguard the environmental integrity of the Regulation while ensuring fair competition across the maritime sector.