Vince Farrugia last Wednesday became the first of 344 new officials of the EU’s Economic and Social Committee (EESC) to register as a formal member.
The director general of the Malta Chamber of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (GRTU), was in Brussels to finalise the administrative procedures to take his seat just a day after final confirmation of his appointment to the committee.
Mr Farrugia’s nomination as one of Malta’s five representatives to the EESC sparked a row between the Malta Employers’ Association, the GRTU and the government.
Despite fierce opposition to his nomination, including MEA’s decision to withdraw its participation from the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development in protest, the GRTU boss lost no time in presenting himself at the EESC’s offices in Rue de la Loi on Wednesday morning to start his five-year mandate.
Already known among the top echelons of the EESC due to his long participation in EU matters related to SMEs, Mr Farrugia was also invited for the last plenary session of the committee.
Introducing the Maltese official as “a special guest”, the outgoing president of the EESC, Mario Sepi, described Mr Farrugia as an important addition to the committee.
Malta’s five representatives to the EESC are appointed by the government although members of civil society are requested to make their nominations before a final decision is taken. Together with Stefano Mallia – the Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry’s vice-president, Mr Farrugia will represent Maltese employers at the EESC.
Lawrence Mizzi, the MEA’s nominee, was turned down by the government as there were only two vacancies available for employers’ representatives.
The other Maltese appointees represent trade unions – Anne Marie Darmanin for the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin and Michael Parnis for the General Workers’ Union – while Grace Attard, president of the Council of Women, represents the rest of the civil society, particularly NGOs.
The MEA had lashed out at the government’s decision to ignore its nomination and accused it of returning a favour to Mr Farrugia for contesting the 2009 MEP elections on behalf of the Nationalist Party.
Mr Farrugia had dismissed the claims and accused the MEA of “jealousy”.
Public Dialogue Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said had said the appointees were chosen on merit.
The new mandate of the EESC officially starts this week.