Today 21 Years Ago, Malta Signed Accession Treaty To The European Union
Today 21 years ago, Former Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami signed the Treaty of Accession of Malta to the European Union.
PN MEP candidate Peter Agius shared a nostalgic image of Fenech Adami and his Foreign Minister Joe Borg signing the historic agreement that marked the start of a new era for Malta.
“Today 21 years ago, the signature that opened doors of opportunities for our country was made. A signature that became possible after a great deal of skill and competence to adapt Europe to Malta and the Maltese,” Agius wrote on social media.
“It is now possible for us to continue writing the pages of this book, with skill and determination so that Malta continues to benefit from the partnership, with #enerġijaġdida.”
The agreement was signed back on 16th April 2003 in Athens after a referendum was voted on in March of that same year, with a slim result of 54% in favour.
The subsequent April 2003 general elections were won by the Nationalist Party which was in favour of EU membership, while Labour was staunchly against it.
The initial formal application to join the EU was submitted years before in 1990 when Fenech Adami was Prime Minister, but it was temporarily halted six years later when a change in government shifted the political direction when Alfred Sant took charge. The application was reactivated in 1998 when the PN returned to government.
Even earlier than this in 1970, Malta had signed an Association Agreement that called for the creation of a customs union based on free trade between Malta and the European Economic Community which preceded the establishment of the EU.
As it stands, Malta has six members of the European Parliament, including the president of the chamber, and a Commissioner for Equality.
Our members are PL’s Alfred Sant, Cyrus Engerer, Josianne Cutajar, and Alex Agius Saliba, as well as PN’s Roberta Metsola and David Casa.
The EU is back on the agenda with the MEP elections coming up in June of this year. Ironically, Sant recently declared that former Prime Minister Dominic Mintoff was the figure responsible for Malta’s accession to the EU, not Fenech Adami.
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