PM to attend first EU summit after re-election

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi will this afternoon be in Brussels for the first EU summit after being re-elected to office at Saturday's general election.

Dr Gonzi's delegation for the two-day meeting will include the newly-appointed ministers for foreign affairs and finance.

Prior to the summit, Dr Gonzi will attend a meeting of party leaders of the European People's Party (EPP), also in Brussels.

The summit will be dominated by economic issues, particularly the financial instability in world economies, the launch of the second phase of the Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs and a raft of proposals on energy and climate change.

In an invitation letter to Dr Gonzi yesterday, the EU president in-office, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa said the challenges of globalisation and the uncertainty in the global economy do not allow the EU to let up its efforts to face these challenges.

"With the launching of the next three-year cycle of the Lisbon Strategy, the European Council has an opportunity to step up the momentum achieved and adapt the current four-pillar structure to new challenges.

"This should provide further impetus for structural reforms while we continue with our efforts to deepen the functioning of the internal market. Let us make full use of best practices and take a significant step forward," Mr Jansa told Dr Gonzi.

EU leaders will take stock of the progress achieved so far by member states on the Lisbon Strategy, which sets various benchmarks related to economic growth, the creation of jobs and the environment.

Assessing the island's progress last month, the European Commission said Malta was advancing strongly in fiscal sustainability. The EU executive, however, said the implementation efforts in the micro-economic and employment areas are more moderate.

Mr Jansa also informed Dr Gonzi about the discussion on climate change and energy. Efforts in the economic and social areas can only achieve their full potential in synergy with a sustainable and healthy environment, he insisted.

"On our table we now have an ambitious and coherent package proposal prepared by the Commission. It is our responsibility to start delivering on the commitments made last year.

"We need progress towards a common agreement that will enable us to maintain global leadership on climate change," he said.

The 27 EU leaders are expected to discuss and give their go-ahead to the Commission's proposals on climate change and the environment whereby every member state was given specific targets on renewable energy to be met by 2020.

The Commission is recommending that Malta produces 10 per cent of its needs from renewable energy by 2020.

During the summit, French President Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to brief his counterparts about a Union for the Mediterranean. Mr Sarkozy intends to launch the initiative at the start of the six-month French presidency of the EU in July.

Dr Gonzi is expected back on Friday evening.