EU-MALTA JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE MEETING IN STRASBOURG

The 14th meeting of the EU-Malta Joint Parliamentary Committee comprising the Hon Louis Galea, Chairman; the Hon Michael Frendo, 1st Vice Chairman; the Hon George Vella, 2nd Vice Chairman; the Hon Evarist Bartolo, the Hon Josef Bonnici, the Hon Michael Bonnici, the Hon Tonio Borg, the Hon Leo Brincat, the Hon Chris Cardona and the Hon Charles Mangion, will be held in Strasbourg on the 15th and 16th November 1999.

The meetings will be under the Co-Chairmanship of Hon Louis Galea for the Malta Parliament and Hon Luigi Cocilovo for the European Parliament side.

Statements on the political situation in Malta and current EU-Malta relations will be delivered by Mr Jacques Faure, Deputy Director of Cooperation, Minister Plenipotentiary, representing the Presidency-in-Office, Mr Gunter Verheugen, representing the European Commission and Hon Joe Borg, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malta.

These statements will be followed by an exchange of views by the Joint Parliamentary Committee Members on:-

- the political situation in Malta and current EU-Malta relations;

- the Euro-Med process;

- Malta's participation in EU programmes in the pre-accession stage;

- the EU Intergovernmental Conference; and

- the social policy of the EU/the Luxembourg process.

Mrs Ursula Stenzel, Rapporteur of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy, on Malta's application for Membership of the European Union, and Mr Arhi Palosuo, the EU Chief Negotiator, will be briefing the committee on the current situation and future perspectives.