Has it ever happened to you, being awakened by your alarm clock only to press the snooze button? You know that time is up, the sound keeps coming, but you somehow manage to ignore it. You procrastinate in an air of deliberate disregard. Just as has been done for so many years with the law on cohabitation.

Today, cohabitation has become common in Malta. More and more couples choose to have long-term relationships outside of marriage and cohabitation becomes a permanent arrangement. Other situations in life also lead couples to cohabit.

When addressing Parliament at its opening in May, President Eddie Fenech Adami presented the government's programme. Sustainable economic development was mentioned as the top priority. Social development was also discussed. He said that without the latter, successful economic development or sustainable development cannot be attained.

When two people choose to live together, there is no legislation in place at present to protect these couples and their assets as there is with married couples or those couples who have entered into a civil partnership. This issue must be urgently addressed.

This government was always ready to openly discuss important reforms for our country. We have recently heard of the reforms in public transport and local government among others. Under the leadership of Lawrence Gonzi, this government has always singled out the challenges of our future and addressed the important reforms in the interest of the Maltese people. The proposed reform in public transport brought with it strikes and what not. The local government reform is currently under discussion, together with the ever important and much awaited reform of the rent laws.

One discussion that is conspicuous by its absence is that concerning cohabitation. Now that the election has passed, we have stopped mentioning the issue. As a serious political party, we must live up to our name and implement the reforms that we have promised. If not, it may very easily lead to loss of credibility, particularly, in this case, with those who are directly or indirectly affected by this cohabitation law. It is vital, at this stage, that we make way for discussion. We must create a debate in which anyone can participate and voice their opinion.

The issue concerning cohabitation started to become more pressing as long as a decade ago. It is an electoral promise that has unfortunately not been implemented. This happened not due to the fact that the government wanted to overlook this issue, but rather because so much work was required to prepare a proposal on this reform. We now have the perfect opportunity to rekindle our vows with the electorate.

The certainty is that once Dr Gonzi assured us that during this legislature the ball regarding this reform will start rolling, then it will be done. However, we must start by creating a fruitful debate first.

This reform is not about buses or buildings. It is about people. As an inclusive society we must think of those affected by this issue. And it is high time we acknowledge that their number is on the rise.

Perhaps, in a community like ours, this is harder to accept than in others. One must think of it as an important social issue, not as some sort of commodity. Some regard cohabitation as an irregularity, or even the fruit of moral decay. But our moral responsibility is to address the reality of cohabitation, rather than to dismiss it or disregard it. Other European countries aside, our country is in dire need of a serious and conscious effort that will lead to the implementation of this much needed reform.

The alarm bells have been ringing for too long.

Mr Casa is a Nationalist member of the European Parliament.