Joe Borg may be offered post of Malta's EU Commissioner

Foreign Minister Joe Borg is likely to be offered the prestigious post of EU Commissioner.

Another possible contender for the post is Malta's chief EU negotiator Richard Cachia Caruana, who is also the prime minister's closest adviser.

But there are other appointments which have to be made much sooner than that of the commissioner. In the coming weeks the government is expected to appoint Malta's permanent representative in Brussels.

This is a new posting which will replace that of Malta's ambassador in Brussels.

Ambassador Victor Camilleri, who has done a sterling job over several years, is now being posted to New York as Malta's representative at the United Nations. The position of Malta's permanent representative is likely to be offered to Mr Cachia Caruana.

There are other imminent appointments which will have to be made. One of the first jobs of the Maltese Parliament will be to elect five MPs to serve as observer members of the European Parliament. The observer MEPs would stay in office until the European parliamentary elections in June, 2004.

It is also understood that as a member state, the European Commission's representative in Malta will be Maltese, in keeping with the tradition whereby the Commission representative in each member state is a national of that state.

There is yet another prestigious, though technical, post of director-general within the European Commission in Brussels to be filled. The person nominated will probably be a technocrat.

The choice of the Maltese Commissioner is to be made over the coming months. It will not be an easy decision for a person like Dr Borg or Mr Cachia Caruana to give up their present post to move to Brussels.

For Dr Borg, it will mean resigning as foreign minister and also from parliament.

For Mr Cachia Caruana it will mean leaving behind a crucial role in the government. For both it will mean representing the European Commission and not their country.

Malta's Commissioner will have to be appointed by the Maltese government in conjunction with the President of the European Commission. The first Maltese Commissioner will be appointed for six months only and will not have any portfolio.

After that period the person can be confirmed in his position or a new person can be identified. This scenario has to be understood in the context that after six months following the May 1, 2004, enlargement there will be a new European Commission headed by a new President. The outgoing President of the Commission cannot bind his successor with the choice of his/her Commissioners.