Foreign Affairs Committee to assume EU role

The government has given notice of a motion to amend the parliamentary standing orders so that the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House will become the Committee on Foreign and European Affairs.

The committee will consist of nine MPs chosen to represent the House and the proportion of the government and the opposition within it. The chairman will be appointed by the government, and the government's committee members will include the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Members of the European Parliament elected from Malta will have the right to participate in the work of the committee but will not be able to vote or move motions and amendments.

The committee will have the power to appoint sub-committees and delegate its functions to them.

The main purpose of the committee will be to deal with matters relating to foreign and European affairs.

In the context of the EU it will scrutinise any proposals for legislation by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament any document published for submission to the European Council, the Council of Ministers or the European Central Bank and any other proposals and documents relating to the European Union.

The opposition has been insisting that there should be an ad hoc committee for EU affairs since the EU should no longer be considered as part of foreign affairs.

The motion is due to be debated on Monday.