Malta Football Association rule raised in Strasbourg

A rule imposed by the Malta Football Association, laying down that no more than three non-Maltese players can form part of a team on the pitch, was brought to the attention of the Council of Europe by government MP Robert Arrigo, himself president of the Sliema Wanderers Football Club.

Mr Arrigo, forming part of the Maltese delegation participating in a meeting of the Council of Europe's committee on culture, science and education, charged that the MFA regulation breached Article 48 of the EC treaty.

The delegation included Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, leader of the parliamentary delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and MPs Joe Debono Grech and Joseph Falzon. It attended the third part of the 2004 ordinary session of the Council of Europe held in Strasbourg between June 21-25.

The parliamentary assembly brings together 626 members from the national parliaments of the 45 member states of the Council of Europe.

Dr Pullicino Orlando, elected vice-president of the parliamentary assembly earlier this year, chaired the assembly on June 21 when it was debating the report on the euro and the greater Europe and the report on the composition of the bureau of the assembly in which it was agreed to expand the bureau from 25 to 36 members and to create a new vice-president to represent smaller national delegations.

During this part session, the election of the new secretary general of the Council of Europe took place. Three members contested the post, Terry Davis, Walter Schwimmer and Kristiina Ojuland. Mr Davis was elected in the first round of voting, having obtained an absolute majority of votes cast.

During the session, the Malta delegation had a meeting with a group of students from the NSTF who were visiting the Council of Europe and the EU institutions. These students had participated in the Mini-European Assembly held earlier this year.