As a reaction to new revelations on the rule of law in Malta the European Parliament’s mission to Malta has just met on my initiative this morning in Strasbourg. We decided:
- to ask for a meeting with our own Conference of Presidents with a view to a debate the situation with the EU Commission and adopt a plenary resolution;
- to ask for an urgency meeting (next week) with Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans to discuss the new revelations and the findings of our mission;
- to write to the Maltese Parliament and to ask for a meeting with official authorities in Malta;
- to write to the new head of Europol for a meeting in order to promote their involvement in the investigations.
MEP Sven Giegold, financial and economic policy spokesperson of the Greens/EFA group commented:
“The situation in Malta is unbearable. The new revelations must lead to drastic changes to counter the general perception of corruption and a weakening of the rule of law. Minister Mizzi and Keith Schembri have to step down or be dismissed. The programme for the sale of passports must be suspended immediately.
The European Parliament should use all its means to ensure that, this time, concrete action is taken. The European Commission has to overcome its light touch policy on the rule of law problems in Malta and urgently act as the guardian of European values.”