Malta reactivates application to join the European Union (EU)

Malta reactivates application to join the European Union (EU)

The Government of Malta, in line with its electoral mandate and in full consideration of the decisions regarding Malta’s pre-accession process already taken, yesterday reactivated its application to join the European Union.

Following is the full text of the letter sent to the President of the Council of the European Union, by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS - MALTA

The Deputy Prime Minster

10th September 1998

H.E. Wolfgang Schissel
President of the Council
of the European Union
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Republic of Austria

Dear Sir,

I have the honour to inform you that the newly elected Government of Malta wishes to reactivate Malta's application for membership of the European Union.

Malta's application was submitted in July 1990. The European Commission in June 1993 delivered a positive Avis. In June 1994, the Corfu European Council declared that "the next phase of enlargement of the Union will involve Malta". The Essen European Council confirmed this delcaration in December 1994.

In April 1995, the General Affairs Council decided that accession negotiations with Malta would start six months after the conclusion of the then ongoing Intergovernmental Conference which was scheduled to conclude in early 1997. The Cannes, Madrid and Florence European Councils reiterated this decision in June 1995, December 1995 and June 1996 respectively. A pre-accession strategy in preparation for the eventual negotiation, including the initiation of a structured dialogue, was also mapped out by the General Affairs Council in 1995 and started being implemented in early 1996.

In October 1996, the Government notified the General Affairs Council that it intended to suspend Malta's membership application.

Following the elections of the 5th September, the Government of Malta, in line with its electoral mandate, and in full consideration of the decisions regarding Malta's pre-accession process already taken, wished to reactivate its application to join the European Union.

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest consideration.

Sgd. Guido de Marco

Guido de Marco
Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Foreign Affairs

11.09.98