Prime Minister Joseph Muscat will start holding meetings with the Malta-EU Steering Action Committee (Meusac) before crucial EU summits, rather than later.

Meusac was very important in the run-up to EU membership but, as time went by, it began to stray from its objectives,” he said, adding that he wanted to develop the committee into a “sounding board” for the Government on EU issues.

Meusac’s main aim is to engage civil society in the EU decision-making process.

Dr Muscat said each year the European Council held two crucial meetings – one in June and another in December – before which the Government should consult with Meusac under a specific agenda.

Dr Muscat said the latest summit he attended, this month, focused on energy and taxation, both very important issues for Malta.

He said Malta had gained credibility in the EU especially on financial services because of the unanimity shown in Parliament in this sector.

“All laws on financial services were adopted without a single vote against,” he said.

He hoped such consensus would be found in other areas, even though he said it would not be easy since “politicians are what they are”.

Dr Muscat said Malta sent clear signs that it wanted to be developed into a reputable centre which was not interested in shady business or making a quick buck by exploiting the problems of countries like Cyprus.

“More than quantity, we need quality and standards,” he said, stressing that Malta’s financial services regulator could not be tarnished in any way. “We acquired a lot of credibility with our work in the past. I could feel it during the meetings,” he said.

Dr Muscat also spoke about environmental issues, saying that, besides hunting and construction, Malta must not forget the “silent killers” like air pollution, as outline in a recent report by the European Commission.

At the start of the meeting, Dr Muscat praised Vanni Xuereb for his “excellent” work as head of Meusac.