The New Year has begun with a sense of anticipation. We expect a very busy 12 months ahead, not least due to the intensity with which 2008 came and went.

The year 2009 shall clearly be an eventful one. It is for this reason that all political parties have united in expressing a sense of hope, courage and optimism in embarking on the challenges we shall face over the coming months.

It is only by working together that we can turn the challenges we face into opportunities. Yet, all the nice messages will provide fodder for false hope and security if we do not map out what we wish to attain over the coming months.

The past year has been particularly important for the mapping out of policy proposals and initiatives.

Several policy papers are up for consultation, with some even progressing to become draft laws in Parliament.

Over the next 12 months we shall be looking towards the implementation of reforms such as an updated rent law, a foundation for local councils, which reflects the needs and responsibilities being cast onto today's local government, a more accountable and transparent Malta Environment and Planning Authority, an efficient public transport system and a smoother transition from primary to secondary education for all children to succeed.

By this time next year we should collectively expect a rent regime, which encourages a more balanced relationship between tenants and landowners, and a market regime that safeguards the needs of socially-vulnerable individuals, particularly in terms of specific segments such as pensioners.

Our communities are nowadays more demanding than ever before; we look upon local councils to cater for our everyday needs.

Over the past 15 years local government has evolved around the principle of subsidiarity.

Slowly but surely the portfolio provided to local councils has increased so that more and more decisions may be taken at the closest possible level to the citizens living within a locality.

Over the coming year, local council reform should lead local governance to assume a new role, that of achieving sustainable localities which, among other things, assume central policies in a bid to balance out the social, economic and environmental needs of our localities. Let us also prepare to embrace the required changes in Mepa.

The upcoming reform intends to increase the efficiency, transparency and accountability of the regulator.

It also intends to eliminate inconsistencies at the decision-making level so as to improve trust.

We would also like to see a more active Mepa and this can naturally be achieved if enforcement is given the importance it deserves. In my opinion, Mepa can regain its trust if it embraces the opinions and ideas of all stakeholders as partners.

This can be attained through a stronger bottom-up approach to participation, which includes the strengthening of scoping and transparency in environmental impact assessments.

Participation and ownership is particularly important if we are to look forward to a successful implementation of the transition from primary to secondary education.

Parents must emerge from the discussion period with full confidence in the new package being provided by the reform, which shifts the impetus from instruction to the strengthening of competences. Teachers, on the other hand, must be afforded all the training and resources required to teach in mixed-ability environments.

And, naturally, the reform must provide a better learning environment for all our children to succeed.

By the end of the year, we should also have more details on the outcome of the government's discussions with bus and taxi drivers in the run-up to the overhaul of the public transport sector.

But even in this case, the public will require a wealth of information if it is to be enticed into making more use of the overhauled public transport system.

The revamped Valletta terminus proposed in the new public transport system shall also fit perfectly with the unveiling of the Renzo Piano plans for the rebuilding of the former Opera House site and City Gate as well as the regeneration of Valletta in general.

Lets hope that we will look back at 2009 come December with satisfaction at what has been achieved.

What with dealing with the prevailing economic climate and all these reforms, it appears that the coming year will be eventful indeed!

Mr Casa is a Nationalist member of the European Parliament.

david@davidcasa.eu, www.davidcasa.eu