May 1, 2004, the magazine

The president of the European parliament, Pat Cox, is convinced Malta can play an important role in the enlarged EU. Tony Blair endorses Malta's request for an equitable distribution of seats in the European parliament. Romano Prodi believes European integration is needed more than ever after the Madrid attacks. But why does Gunther Verheugen say he has "mixed feelings" about May 1?

Find out tomorrow in May 1, 2004, a colour glossy magazine being distributed free with The Times to coincide with Malta's accession to the European Union.

Peppered with quality photos, this 112-page supplement, edited by Jesmond Bonello and Isabel Depasquale, features a detailed insight into the EU, a snapshot of the acceding countries and Malta's political route leading to membership, among others.

The magazine features interviews with leading players in the EU process, President Eddie Fenech Adami, Commissioner Joe Borg and Malta's permanent representative in Brussels, Richard Cachia Caruana. It also contains contributions by former President Guido de Marco, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Opposition Leader Alfred Sant.

In a frank interview, Enlargement Commissioner Gunther Verheugen admits he was expecting more euphoria to surround May 1, 2004.

"The year 2003 was annus orribilis for the EU with a series of mistakes and bad news, which has led people to feeling confused and alienated," he says.

Turning to Malta, Mr Verheugen disagrees that the island will follow in the UK's footsteps and become a sceptical member state.

He applauds the Labour Party's U-turn on the EU, describing it as a "demonstration of statesmanship".

The magazine is published by Allied Newspapers Ltd and produced by Mediamaker.