The enlarged European Parliament began its new five-year term yesterday with a three-day plenary session in Strasbourg.
Malta's newly elected MEPs - Simon Busuttil, David Casa, Louis Grech, Joseph Muscat and John Attard Montalto - sat for the first time in the hemicycle-shaped Parliament together with their respective political groups.
Nationalist MEPs form part of the European People's Party while Labour MEPs are part of the European Socialist Group.
With 732 MEPs from 25 member states, the European Parliament is the only directly elected body in the EU and represents 450 million people.
Spanish Socialist MEP Josep Borrell was elected as the new president of the European Parliament succeeding Pat Cox.
MEPs backed Mr Borrell with 388 votes in favour in the first round of voting. The other contestants were Branislaw Geremek - a former Polish Foreign Minister backed by the Liberal Group - and a French Communist MEP, Francis Wurtz.
Mr Borrell secured the backing of the Socialist and the centre right EPP blocs and will be replaced by EPP group leader Hans-Gert Pottering in two-and-a-half years after a "technical agreement" between the two largest parties in Parliament.
"We are delighted to have a Socialist once again as EP president after a long period in which this position has been occupied by conservatives and liberals," Socialist leader Martin Schultz remarked after the result.
The agreement between the two blocs was, however, criticised by the Liberal group leader Graham Watson who described it as "an unnatural" alliance. The Greens also derided the agreement.
In his address minutes after his election, Mr Borrell said that "this is a moment full of emotion", adding that his role "is a huge responsibility". He said he would make a full statement of his plans in September, after consulting with the various leaders in Parliament. However, he mentioned the new European Commission, a new EU budget, the Stability and Growth Pact, the Euro-Mediterranean process and the Middle East as the key issues for the future. He added that the Parliament would have to closely follow the ratification of Europe's constitution.
The opening session, the sixth since the EP's inception, began under the chairmanship of the oldest member as laid down in parliamentary rules. Giovanni Berlinguer, an Italian Socialist MEP, welcomed the newly elected MEPs and drew attention to the fact that this was the first meeting of a fully elected Parliament of a reunited Europe based on democracy and the rule of law, without the dominance of one state or another.
The Parliament also elected its vice-presidents and other officials.
The session will continue today and tomorrow with presentations by the Irish and Dutch presidencies and the election of the President of the European Commission.
Of particular interest to Malta will be the appointment of the committees. Maltese MEPs are said to be lobbying within their groups in order to make sure they form part of the most important committees that are relevant to Malta. These include the budget, economic and monetary affairs, transport and tourism, regional development and environment committees. Each MEP will be nominated to one committee and can also serve as a reserve in a second committee.