The private secretariat of Maltese Commissioner Joe Borg will see a significant change at the end of the month following the resignation of cabinet head Patrick Tabone.

Mr Tabone, who started his career as Dr Borg's personal assistant when he was appointed parliamentary secretary in 1998, will be leaving Brussels to assume a new position in Malta heading a private school, according to sources in Brussels.

Mr Tabone has been chef de cabinet since Dr Borg's appointment in November 2003.

Joanna Darmanin, a senior diplomat who has also served Malta in important international institutions such as the UN, has been appointed acting chef de cabinet to steer the Commissioner's private secretariat for the coming months until a German EU official takes over the role in a few months' time.

Ms Darmanin, who also formed part of Dr Borg's private secretariat during his stint as Malta's Foreign Minister, will assume the duties of deputy head of cabinet on a permanent basis once the German official takes over.

Commission rules do not permit officials of the same nationality to occupy the positions of head and deputy head at the same time.

Dr Borg, who is responsible for Maritime and Fisheries Affairs in the Barroso Commission, will be ending his term of office in a year's time. Commissioners are nominated by national governments and approved by the EU Council and the European Parliament.

The government may either opt to re-nominate Dr Borg or appoint a new person to occupy this prestigious position for the following five years. A formal decision on the Maltese EU Commissioner is expected to be taken by the government during the first months of next year, probably in conjunction with the appointment of a new President, as Eddie Fenech Adami's term ends in April.