Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Environment

Statements made recently by visiting foreign politicians have given the impression that the existence of the Joint EC-Malta Parliamentary Committee is directly dependent on Malta's continued EU membership application and that the Joint Committee's future is now uncertain because of the Government's new European policy. This is certainly not the case and the Joint Committee's continued work-programme does not depend on the whim of either its President or any other particular individual. The true and accurate position is as follows:

Articles 1 and 2 of the Rules of Procedures of the Joint Parliamentary Committee EC-Malta state:

"Rule 1 - The Joint Parliamentary Committee EC-Malta is established on the basis of the European Parliament Resolution of 15 January 1992 and on the Resolution of the Parliament of Malta of July 1992, and on the basis of the EC-Malta Association Treaty.

Rule 2 - The task of the Joint Parliamentary Committee EC-Malta shall be to consider all aspects of relations between the EC and Malta and, in particular, the implementation of the Association Treaty and the application of Malta for membership of the EC and/ or other future relations between the two sides"

The objectives referred to above were clearly underlined in what the President of the European Parliament, Dr Egon A. Klepsch, had to say to the Malta Chamber of Commerce on 22 September 1992:

"The purpose of this new body will be to monitor as closely as possible the Association Agreement between the EC and Malta and to examine all aspects of our relations, including the whole question of accession".