President Donald Tusk and Dr Joseph Muscat, PM of Malta – Picture by EU.
Maltese head of government, Dr Joseph Muscat, was in Brussels on November 16th, for multilateral talks with EU Council President Donald Tusk.
Malta is due to take the reins of the rotating presidency of the EU in January 2017 for six months. During the first half of 2017, the UK is expected to invoke Article 50 and Dutch and French are voting for new governments.
The UK will invoke Article 50 of the Treaty of the European Union in the middle of the Maltese Presidency, if Prime Minister Theresa May gets her way. This will be a greater challenge altogether for Malta and the EU at large.
Other relevant topics are immigration, security and the internal market which will be on top of the priority list during Malta’s Presidency. Social inclusion and Neighbourhood Policy shall also feature high to tackle the social and political malaise spreading across Europe.
Malta’s presidency likewise coincides with the 60th anniversary celebrations of the signing of the Treaty of Rome in March 2017. This is an opportunity to celebrate the past as well as chart together our European future.
Programme for the Maltese Presidency of the EU Council:
