The problem of lack of Maltese translators within European Union institutions will be significantly eased after a number of Maltese applicants passed an open competition organised by the EU recruitment agency, EPSO.
According to results published in the Official Journal of the EU last week, 51 Maltese candidates passed the concours for translators. They will now qualify for a permanent job as Maltese translators and in the coming months will be recruited with various EU institutions, such as the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament.
It is estimated that in the long run there is a need for 135 full-time Maltese translators within the EU institutions. In the first call, soon after Malta's accession, only eight Maltese qualified. Following the publication of last week's results the number of translators will rise to 59.
The new translators, who will all have to take up residence abroad, particularly in Luxembourg and Brussels, will qualify for a financial package starting from a net €4,000 (Lm1,739) monthly apart from many other fringe benefits.
Albert Marshall, a well-known name in the local broadcasting scene and the man who headed the Malta Labour Party's television station during the crucial pre-referendum campaign, was one of the successful candidates. He has been employed with the Commission's translation unit in Luxembourg on a temporary basis over the past few months.
The other successful candidates are: Christian Attard, Bernard Cachia, Kenneth Camilleri, Antoine Cassar, Angelo Chetcuti, Kristina Chetcuti, Joseph Chircop, Andrè Corrado, Owen James Degabriele, John Degiorgio, Pierre Gerada, Irene Mangion, Christopher Meilak, Pierre Mejlak, Alfred Naudi, Tracy Porter, Leonard Sacco, Andrew Sammut, Mark Anthony Vella, Rachel Zammit McKeon, Antonella Axisa, Anna Maria Bartolo, Brian Buhagiar, Paul Anthony Buhagiar, Carmen Buttigieg, Ruth Buttigieg, Christine Cassar, Denise Chircop Fenech, Elaine Cordina, Alexander Ellul, Stephen Gatt, Michelle Grech Mallia, Mario Micallef, Salvatore Mugliett, Nathalie Oliverio Bugeja, Mario Sammut, Pamela Vassallo, Peter Vella, Paul Zahra, Anita Zammit, Ian Zammit, Michael Baldacchino, James Borg, Louisiana Busuttil, Kenneth Chase, Margarita Megally Cassar, Joseph Pace, Glorienne Portelli, Joseph Spiteri and Monique Troisi.
EPSO has also published the lists of other competitions it organised to recruit other Maltese staff directly.
Carmel Attard, former acting head of the Malta-EU Information Centre and currently employed as an official of the newly set up Forum Malta fl-Ewropa, passed as an administrator in the field of European Public Administration together with the head of the Malta office of the European Parliament, Julian Vassallo.
Another nine Maltese qualified for this post. These are: Yvette Azzopardi, Alan Bugeja, Kenneth Camilleri, Mark Camilleri, Elaine Cordina, Elena Grech, Franklin Mamo, Diane Spiteri and Ella Strickland.
None of the Maltese candidates who sat for the exam for the top EU post on offer, that of head of unit in the Maltese translation department at an A12 level, was successful. However, three candidates passed for a lower post of head of unit in the same department.
Sources close to the Commission told The Times that although the number of Maltese translators was still not enough to cope with the current workload, the European translation authorities breathed a sigh of relief at the results obtained, as the shortage of Maltese staff was the most severe among the new official languages of the EU.
They said that EPSO will be shortly issuing another call for applications.