Prime Minister Robert Abela on Thursday proposed the appointment of a European Commissioner for the Mediterranean to better tackle the challenges of the region.

Abela was speaking at a meeting with European leaders held in preparation for the new EU strategic agenda to cover 2024-2029.

During the meeting, Abela mentioned some of the priorities important for Malta in the coming years which, he said, should be considered in the new strategy. These include the single market, access to medicines, connectivity and the Mediterranean.

Abela said there still existed circumstances which put countries like Malta at a disadvantage, including when it came to access to medicines and connectivity.

He insisted that prior to the introduction of legislation, impact assessments which took into consideration the realities of all member states, including Malta, should be carried out.

Abela said that although Malta was still obtaining quality medicine at an affordable price, the EU should address the challenge of access to medicine for the bloc to really have a  single market when it came to pharmaceuticals.

The Maltese prime minister pointed out that Malta depended on maritime and aviation transport to connect it to the rest of Europe. So the EU should take action regarding sectors that are crucial for connectivity to continue combating climate change.

Abela insisted that the region had a lot of potential and should be given the importance it deserved. He proposed the appointment of a European Commissioner for the Mediterranean.

During the meeting, the leaders spoke about the current situation including the conflict in the Middle East.

In Croatia, Abela also had a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.