The planned visit of the President of the European Parliament (EP) to Malta has been postponed to January, The Times has learnt.

Jerzey Buzek had to visit Malta next week and was also expected to address MPs during a special session of the Maltese Parliament.

However, EP sources in Strasbourg yesterday told The Times that the visit to Malta has now been re-scheduled to January “due to unforeseen changes in the President’s diary.”

According to a letter sent to Speaker Michael Frendo last June, Mr Buzek had said that he would take the opportunity during his stay in Malta to address MPs directly about new rights and obligations EU member states' Parliaments had under the Lisbon Treaty.

Sources close to the EP President yesterday said that Mr Buzek is also expected to raise the issue regarding the absence of a permanent office representing the Maltese Parliament in Brussels and to insist that this issue is addressed without further delay.

Although Malta has been a member of the EU since 2004, it is the only EU member state out of the 27 which 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.

The current speaker Michael Frendo has been insisting on the need to have a parliamentary representative in Brussels since taking office. Lack of funds has been cited as the main reason behind Malta’s absence.