EU-MALTA Joint Parliamentary Committee

The EU-Malta Joint Parliamentary Committee held its 11th meeting on 16-17 February 1999 in St. Julians, under the joint chairmanship of its Co-Chairmen: the Hon. Louis Galea (NP) and the Hon. Dominique Saint-Pierre (FR-ARE).

This was the first JPC meeting since the national elections in Malta in September 1998 and the reactivation of Malta's application for EU membership.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon Guido de Marco addressed the meeting underlining the Government's determination to actively prepare for EU membership and its intention to keep the Maltese people fully informed of Malta's accession process and to prepare for a referendum as soon as the accession negotiations are completed.

German Ambassador H.E. Mr Gerhard Kunz, representing the Presidency-in-Office of the Council of the EU stated that the accession process is accompanied by an analytical examination of the acquis or screening, which is designed to ensure that the candidate states are fully aware of the actual and potential rights and obligations attached to the Union system.

Mr Eric Van Der Linden and H.E. Mr Giorgio Boggio, representing the European Commission informed the JPC that its updated opinion on Malta's EU application to be released soon is expected to be positive and constructive.

The main topic of the meeting was the re-activation of the Maltese application for EU membership and the JPC welcomed the Commission's work in rapidly updating its 1993 opinion on the Maltese application. The JPC was of the opinion that the screening process should start in the very near future and expected the General Affairs Council of the EU to take a formal decision on the Maltese application by June. This would bring Malta back into the mainstream of the EU enlargement process. The JPC also welcomed the decision of the Maltese Government to hold a referendum on the outcome of the enlargement negotiations, thus ensuring full popular support for accession.

The JPC also discussed Malta's participation in EU programmes in the pre-accession stage and the Euro-Med Partnership, as well as the continuation of EU financing for infrastructure and other EU supportive projects through the extension of the 4th Financial Protocol.

The JPC would very closely follow the forthcoming enlargement negotiations between Malta and the EU expressing the conviction that Malta would join the first wave of countries joining the EU.

The next meeting of the JPC will be held in one of the European Parliament's working places in the autumn of 1999 following the elections to the European Parliament in June 1999.