Bringing Europe to the people

Joanna Drake knows she is facing an uphill struggle. The Representative Office of the European Commission in Malta she has recently been appointed to lead has been in limbo, without a boss, for the past nine months.

A year and a half into EU membership, many feel detached from the European bloc, including some of the most vociferous supporters of Malta's membership. Dr Drake is the first to admit there has been a vacuum in information flow after the referendum and general election sealed 15 years of political controversy.

"It's about time we start transferring membership into reality," she told The Times in an interview.

Dr Drake knows she has what it takes to boost the profile of the 25-nation bloc. She has lived in the EU for several years, specialising in European law, and at one point was the main spokesman of the Iva Movement, the pro-EU lobby, in the run-up to the referendum. During the European elections in 2004 she just missed winning a seat in the European Parliament.

Now, she is determined to contribute to Malta's EU membership from her office at Ta' Xbiex which was transformed from an embassy in a third country into a representation in a member state.

"We want to be a listening post. We need to show how Europe can help the Maltese. We want to engage ourselves with the stakeholders," she said.

Since May 1, 2004, nobody had tried to reconnect the EU with its citizens and post-membership expectations were running high after years of controversy, she continued.

She sees factors like bureaucracy, over-regulation and unemployment as also having contributed towards the decline of public support for EU policy around Europe, but she wants to help reverse the trend.

While she accepts some of the criticism levelled at the EU, she insists that membership has also ushered in a number of positive measures, such as new environment regulations and a boost to food safety.

Suffice it to mention the overnight improvement in dairy products.

"I want Europe to have a positive effect on Malta in terms of health, safety and innovation."

The way she sees it, people need specific information that really connects to their everyday needs, the issues that they care and worry about, and not information on the general aspects of the EU. The public is clamouring for information on tangible issues such as the best means to tap funding.

In her view, going local is key to helping people understand that Europe is there as part of the solution to a better standard of living, more and better opportunities, accountability and citizens' rights.

Initiatives such as Europe Direct, which acts as an interface between citizens and the union at local level, are also known to have filled the missing link.

"We need to be careful how to implement and transpose regulations to our advantage. Europe is much more flexible than most people think."

What about those who still think EU membership is bad for the country?

"We need to convince them with facts that membership can actually be beneficial to them. They need to be told of the opportunities. I also think we are moving more towards a time where people express themselves with their minds - and that's a positive thing."

She disagrees with claims that people's interest in the EU has waned - people still do question matters that are going to affect them, as evidenced by the constant requests to the Malta-EU Information Centre and the Permanent Representation.

This is why it was important to streamline the information train and Dr Drake looks forward to having all the European representation offices under one roof - in St Paul Street, Valletta where people may seek information and guidance and generally network with staff.

Does she expect EU sceptics to seek assistance from the Permanent Representation?

Quoting the saying, "Malta never refused grain", she replied: "Yes, Europe is part of the solution, and people should be fully aware of what it has to offer."