Last Monday I took my oath of office as a member of the European Court of Auditors. The ceremony was very simple yet very effective in highlighting the nature and responsibility of the post I now occupy.
The ceremony was held at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg and the oath of office was taken in front of the 25 judges who make up that court, the highest juridical body within the European Union and one of the fundamental institutions of the European Union, as is also the Court of Auditors.
The ceremony consisted essentially of two short speeches, one by the president of the Court of Justice, Vassilios Skouris, and one by the president of the Court of Auditors, Juan Manuel Fabra Valles, followed by the actual oath of office. This took the form of a solemn undertaking by each one of the new members of the European Court of Auditors, which each one of us read-out in his or her native language.
The text that we read is provided-for in the very treaties establishing the EU. Its principal trust is to affirm the professionality, integrity and independence with which each member has to carry out his or her functions, free from any undue influence from any organisation or country but in the service of the European Communities as a whole.
This aspect was ably articulated by Mr Fabra Valles who emphasised the vital role that the Court of Auditors is expected to play within the mosaic of institutions that constitute the supporting pillars of the EU. Quoting freely from his speech: the audits carried out by the Court ensure that the appropriation of public funds is carried-out in accordance with existing rules and accepted standards and its reports enable the European Parliament and the Council to exercise democratic control over the expenditure of public funds.
Furthermore, the observations and recommendations made by the Court enable the other EU institutions to improve the execution of their roles and the delivery of their services for the ultimate benefit of EU citizens, in general.
One of the other points made by Mr Fabra Valles is that while May 1, 2004 was the effective date for EU enlargement it certainly did not represent the conclusion of the enlargement process. In many respects this process is still in its initial stages since enlargement cannot be taken to mean only accession but also integration, which is the ability of the new member states to approach the same level of economic and social development as enjoyed by the other members of the Union.
This consideration is also very relevant with respect to the EU institutions which are being called to an even more onerous task in the execution of their respective functions, within an enlarged Union, to ensure that this enlargement is a success and in preparation for the accession of yet more countries in the near future.
The defining characteristics of the Court of Auditors and in particular its independence and professionality are enshrined within the Treaties that have successively established the EU as we know it today. These same principles will also find their place in the prospected EU Constitution.
To safeguard its independence from any single country, the Court is made up of one national from each member state of the Union. Hence, a member appointed by each of the new member states, including Malta, now sits next to and together with the members nominated by the 'old' member states. Between them and from within them, the members of the Court of Auditors select a president who chairs the Court meetings and who represents the Court in its relations with the other EU institutions and other bodies.
I have already mentioned that the swearing-in ceremony was purposely kept simple and short but it was nevertheless a moving experience for those of us directly involved. The ceremony was held within the main hall inside the Court of Justice and whilst the setting could not match the glitter and glamour of the Grand Masters' Palace in Valletta it still provided a most appropriate venue.
The 25 European Court judges, in their almost regal robes, sat next to each other on a raised podium, as if overlooking the procedures. Effectively, they were the principal witnesses to the oath of office that we took. The key sentence was our solemn undertaking to exercise our functions in absolute independence and in the general interest of the communities that together constitute the EU.
Of course I have been part of swearing-in ceremonies before, including twice taking the oath of office as Minister for Economic Services. However, these are not moments to which I can ever become accustomed or which can leave me unaffected. Besides being, quite often, significant turning points in one's life, these are also moments in which the highly symbolic nature of the occasion makes you reflect more intensely on the true nature of the responsibilities that have been trust upon me. It is not a time of decision (which has already been made) but it is certainly a time of reflection. Not so much on the exact nature of what I will be doing but more on how this is likely to change my life forever.
Inevitably it is also a time for looking back at events that preceded and led to the post which I have accepted and in which I was being officially sworn-in. As generally happens in life, most events are part choice and partly dictated by circumstances. I am the first one to admit that my knowledge about the European Court of Auditors was quite limited before my acceptance of my country's nomination.
On the other hand, I am conscious of my close involvement in political affairs in Malta over the preceding 14 years, and I am very proud of the fact that my personal involvement and activity must have played some part in Malta's successful path to EU accession.
I have spoken of EU enlargement and accession as a process. But before becoming a process it was born as an idea which needed to be nurtured, sustained and developed. My swearing-in as the first Malta nominated Member of the Court of Auditors is obviously still fresh in my mind. But I also remember more distant events when EU membership was little more than a dream.
In particular, I recall, just before launching into my political career in 1990, co-authoring a book with Dr Michael Frendo and published by the Malta Chamber of Commerce, that represented the first attempt to assess the potential implications of EU membership.
I am very happy that I was one of those who sowed the first seeds from which a robust tree has now grown which, I am confident, will bear good fruit. I am equally happy that I was able to vote yesterday in Malta's first European Parliament elections. This was yet another milestone. Another very positive step in the direction that we have chosen for ourselves as direct and active participants in the process of EU enlargement and in the determination of Europe's future.