Malta is expected to elect three new MEPs next week,following a formal declaration by the President of the European Parliament Martin Schultz yesterday.

Speaking at the start of the EP’s plenary session in Strasbourg, Mr Schultz declared the formal vacancies after former Labour MEPs Louis Grech and Edward Scicluna, and Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil were elected to the Maltese Parliament.

Sources close to Malta’s House of Representatives told The Times that the declaration will now start the process for the three by-elections to be held following the issue of an electoral writ by the President of Malta.

“Nominations are expected to be received by the end of this week and the elections held next week,” the sources said.

As Malta was waiting for Mr Schulz’s declaration, Italy had already sent its new MEPs to Brussels even though the vacancies arose a few days after Malta’s.

Mr Schulz declared three Italian MEP vacancies, due to the incumbents having been elected to the Italian Senate on March 18, and then welcomed three new Italian MEPs to the European chamber as their replacements.

EP sources said the Maltese authorities had been given legal advice that they first had to wait for a formal declaration before proceeding.

Labour’s two vacant seats are expected to be contested by Marlene Mizzi and Glenn Bedingfield and possibly Claudette Abela Baldaccino, who may not run due to pending court proceedings against her. The PN seat is expected to be contested by Roberta Metsola Tedesco Triccas and Rudolf Cini. The new Maltese MEPs will only be elected for one year, as new EP elections are due by the middle of 2014.