EU Committee of Regions president for Malta talks

The President of the EU Committee of Regions, Peter Straub, is expected to arrive for talks today with President Eddie Fenech Adami, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and ministers.

The Committee of the Regions (CoR) is a consultative assembly that provides elected local and regional government politicians with a voice at the heart of the European Union.

Mr Straub's visit will coincide with a meeting of the CoR's Commission for Constitutional Affairs and European Governance in St Julians tomorrow.

The meeting, which takes place just 48 hours before a crucial EU leaders' summit in Brussels, will debate the current state of play regarding the ratification process of the EU Constitutional Treaty in the light of the French and Dutch "no" votes as well as the decision of the UK parliament to suspend the referendum.

The CoR strongly supports ratification of the treaty, which recognises the importance of regions and cities and gives the CoR, alongside national parliaments, a key responsibility for monitoring implementation of the principle of subsidiarity, where decisions should be taken as closely as possible to the citizen.

The European Commission and the Council of Ministers are obliged to consult the CoR on proposed EU laws across a range of policy areas, including transport, employment and the environment. Malta has five full members and five alternate members.

Ian Micallef, president of the local councils association and head of the Maltese delegation to the CoR, is expected to welcome Mr Straub.