Brussels - The European Commission yesterday said it was ready to relaunch the process of Maltese EU accession, as soon as Valetta's new government submitted a formal request, Patrick Smyth reports. The victorious Nationalist Party has already pledged to do so.
Maltese accession was put on hold by the last Labour Government when it came to power in October 1996. A Commission spokeswoman said EU heads of government at the Vienna summit in December are likely to invite Malta to begin formal accession talks alongside Cyprus, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Estonia.
Commission sources say, however, that with the Nationalists holding only a small majority, some member-states may be keen to seek a reassurance that in three years or four years another election will not prompt another change of heart.