Invitations to euro celebrations

Reference is made to the article entitled Euro Entry Celebrations - Maltese In Brussels Complain Of Being Left Out (July 10). The Permanent Representation of Malta to the EU would like to make it clear that the euro celebrations event at the Berlaymont held on July 10 was a European Commission event to celebrate Malta's and Cyprus' entry into the eurozone as from January 1, 2008. It was not a Government of Malta activity.

The European Commission invited around 250 persons which included member states' ministers attending the Economic and Finance (Ecofin) Council, European Commission officials including commissioners involved in the Ecofin Council as well as officials from the European Central Bank. The European Commission also invited every Maltese and Cypriot national working for the European Commission. The Maltese and Cypriot Permanent Representations were asked to add 10 to 15 names to the guest list, and after consulting the guest list, the Prime Ministers' delegation and the Steering Committee of the National euro changeover committee, eight in all, were included since all other Maltese nationals were already on the Commission's list.

It has since transpired that the invitations to the Maltese nationals working with the Commission were in fact not sent by the European Commission's subcontractors, Media Consulta. The Commission has assured the Permanent Representation that the list they sent to Media Consulta included the full list of Maltese nationals working at the Commission.

Media Consulta are currently investigating what went wrong but in the meantime they sent an e-mail to Maltese nationals working at the European Commission, apologising for the error and inviting them to join in the celebration without the need to register for the event.

It is a pity that, 43 years after Independence, when mistakes are made it is still assumed that it is the Maltese side that has failed.

Editor's note: When The Times asked the Permanent Representation's spokesman for comments on the complaints, the reply was that every Maltese national who has been involved, directly or indirectly, in the adoption of the euro had been invited to the events.