The European Asylum Support Office, the first fully-fledged EU agency to be hosted in Malta, is expected to choose its executive director today and officially kick-start the process of recruiting the necessary staff in order to start functioning from its new offices put at its disposal by the Maltese government in Valletta.

Sources close to the Commission said yesterday the new Executive Director – who will act as the agency’s CEO – would be chosen by the agency’s management board from a short list of three candidates: an Italian, a Greek and a Dutch citizen.

Malta was chosen by the EU Council to host the office in the face of fierce competition by Cyprus and Bulgaria. After months of lobbying, coordinated by Malta’s Permanent Representation in Brussels, Malta’s bid was deemed to be the best.

The office, which will be responsible to coordinate the efforts of EU member states on asylum and to improve the implementation of the Common European Asylum System, is expected to generate a lucrative economic spin-off in the Maltese economy with an initial budget of €40 million to be spent during the first three years of operation. EASO is expected to recruit about 60 officials, the complement rising to about 120 at the end of the first three-year period.

The agency will be functioning from new offices in Maritime House, situated in the Grand Harbour, adjacent to the offices hosting the maritime section of Transport Malta.

About 80 officials from the 27 member states and the Commission will be attending today’s first EASO meeting in Malta.