Parliament is due to take its final vote on EU membership this evening when the European Union Bill is moved for third reading. The central feature of the bill is the ratification of the accession treaty. Since the bill includes an amendment to article 65 of the Constitution, its approval requires the support of at least 33 members of the House.

The House approved the bill through the committee stage on July 2. The debate on clause six of the bill, on the ratification of the treaty, was characterised by a large number of questions asked by opposition MPs on how the accession treaty and EU laws would impact various sectors.

The ratification clause was carried without the opposition requesting a division.

The bill now needs the third reading to become law, the last hurdle in Malta for the country to join the EU.

The other items on this evening's agenda are the Malta Enterprise Bill, second reading; the Bill to amend Various Laws, second reading; the Civil Code (amendment) Bill, second reading; the European Parliament Elections Bill, second reading and the Internal Audit and Financial Investigations Bill, third reading.