A delegation from the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee will be back in Malta in September, it was announced yesterday.

The MEPs would be evaluating the progress made on the rule of law, corruption and the protection of journalists, the European Parliament said yesterday. It said the delegation would take stock of the developments on the island.

Sophie in’t Veld, a Dutch MEP and head of the delegation, said Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder had to be solved and there must be no impunity.

“Journalists need to know they can do their work in safety,” she said.

“We will visit Malta again to get further answers and a clear picture of the state of affairs. The visit must also be seen in the context of our aim to ensure the rule of law is upheld throughout the EU.

“There are serious concerns about specific problems in Malta that affect the EU as a whole,” she was quoted saying.

Following their first mission to Malta last December, MEPs expressed serious concerns about the unclear separation of powers in Malta, which has been held as the source of the perceived lack of independence of the judiciary and the police, the weak implementation of anti-money laundering legislation, the serious problems deriving from the ‘investments for citizenship programme’ and the mention of Maltese politically exposed persons in the Panama Papers and their continuing presence in government.

READ: MEPs eye rule of law concerns with new EP working group

The MEPs noted the low rate of investigations and absence of prosecution by the Maltese authorities on such cases as well as private sector actors involved, such as Nexia BT and Pilatus Bank.

A similar delegation will also visit Slovakia to investigate progress following the assassination of journalist Jan Kuciak.