Joanna Drake, a former leader of the pro-EU membership movement Iva Malta fl-Ewropa, was yesterday chosen by the European Commission to be the first Head of its Representation Office in Malta.
Commission sources confirmed that the Directorate General for Press and Communication has just approved Dr Drake's appointment following intense competition and a thorough analysis of all the candidates who had submitted their application for this high-profile position.
More than 30 Maltese applicants, including current ambassadors, university professors and top civil servants had originally applied for the post which carries with it a hefty financial package.
Contacted by The Times, Dr Drake did not wish to comment about the news and said only that it is up to the Commission to formally announce the appointment.
Dr Drake, a 41-year-old lawyer specialising in EU affairs, competition law and telecommunications, also obtained a masters degree in European studies from the College of Europe in Bruges.
She has published a number of publications on European and Community law and also entered the political arena as a PN candidate both for the general elections and for the recent European Elections held last year.
She is also a lecturer at the University of Malta and served in different posts within government boards and authorities. Currently she occupies the post of chairman of the Occupational Health and Safety Authority and heads the legal office of Vodafone Malta.
Commission sources told The Times that Dr Drake should assume her new role as from September.
Dr Drake will be the first Maltese citizen to occupy the post of Head of the Representation Office in Malta and will be stepping into the position occupied until recently by Ronald Gallimore, who led the Commission's Delegation in Malta during the delicate phase of accession negotiations between Malta and the EU.
The EC Delegation in Malta opened in 1991 and acted as a diplomatic mission. However, since Malta is now a member of the European Union, the mission has been changed into a Representation Office acting as a natural point of contact and exchange between the European Commission and the Maltese authorities.
The Representation Office promotes economic, political and cultural cooperation between the EU and Malta and also maintains close contacts with the different government departments, the House of Representatives, political parties, local councils, schools and university, as well as an extensive range of corporate bodies, associations and media.
The Representation Office is currently based in Ta' Xbiex although there are plans to move to Valletta in a short while.