EP president postpones Malta visit to January

The planned visit of European Parliament president Jerzey Buzek to Malta has been postponed to January, The Times has learnt.

Prof. Buzek was scheduled to visit Malta next week and was expected to address MPs during a special session of Parliament.

However, EP sources in Strasbourg said the visit was rescheduled to January “due to unforeseen changes in the president’s diary”.

In a letter sent to Speaker Michael Frendo last June, Prof. Buzek said he would take the opportunity to address MPs directly about new rights and obligations EU member states’ Parliaments had under the Lisbon Treaty.

Sources close to the EP president said Prof. Buzek was expected to raise the absence of a permanent office representing the Maltese Parliament in Brussels and to insist the issue was addressed without further delay. Although Malta joined the EU in 2004, it is the only member state out of the 27 that does not yet have a parliamentary permanent representative in Brussels.

Despite the EP’s offer of free office space and facilities to host the Maltese office in the EP premises in Brussels, the Maltese Parliament has still not appointed its permanent representative.

Dr Frendo has been insisting on the need to have a parliamentary representative in Brussels since taking office earlier this year. Lack of funds has been cited as the main reason behind Malta’s absence.