Malta joined the European Union 1st May 2004 and it has been a member of the Schengen area since 21st December 2007.

Malta is a single-chamber parliamentary republic with a head of government - the prime minister - and a head of state - the president - whose role is largely ceremonial. The country is divided into 5 regions. Each has its own regional committee, which serves as the intermediary between local and national government.

There are 6 members of the European Parliament from Malta.

EU - Malta

On 21 May 2025, the European Parliament officially launched the call for submissions for entries to the fifth edition of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism. The Prize rewards on a yearly basis outstanding journalism that promotes or defends the core principles and values of the European Union, such as human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, and human rights.

The Prize is open to professional journalists and teams of professional journalists of any nationality, who can submit in-depth pieces that have been published or broadcast by media based in one of the 27 EU countries. The aim is to support and highlight the importance of professional journalism in safeguarding human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, and human rights.

An independent jury composed of representatives of the press and civil society from the 27 member states, as well as representatives of the main European journalists’ associations, will choose the winning entry. The award ceremony takes place each year around 16 October, the date Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated. The prize and the €20 000 prize money demonstrate the European Parliament’s strong support for investigative journalism and the importance of a free press.

Over the last few years, Parliament has warned about attempts both in the EU and beyond to undermine media pluralism. Parliament has repeatedly&nbsp;denounced attempts to limit media freedom, and especially attacks against journalists, in any form and wherever they may come from. MEPs were instrumental in the effort that culminated in March 2024 in the&nbsp;European Media Freedom Act, which protects media freedom and journalists' safety and independence. They also pushed for years for rules to tackle malicious litigation, aiming to protect journalists and civil society from strategic lawsuits seeking to silence critical voices, and the EU’s&nbsp;anti-SLAPP directive&nbsp;was finally approved in February 2024.

Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism

On the 16th October 2017, the Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed in a car bomb explosion. Ms Caruana Galizia gave to the Committee of Inquiry into Money Laundering, Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion (PANA) evidence about her work on the Panama Papers at a meeting in February 2017 in Malta.

Every day journalists risk their lives to help keep us informed. Freedom of Press is considered to be an essential element of democracy by the European Parliament, which strongly supports it within the EU and beyond. Article 11 of the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights clearly states that “freedom and pluralism of the media shall be respected”.

Press freedom in Malta

Press freedom in Malta (2019-2020)

EP President Roberta Metsola visits Malta, where she meets students from the Mediterranean College of Sport and St Albert the Great College and takes part in a discussion organised by the Malta Business Network.

Roberta METSOLA, EP President, official visit to Malta

Official visit of Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta

President meets students at St Joseph School and pays tributeon Paulina Dembska's murder site in Sliema.

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta

President's visit to Seifert Systems in Birżebbugia. The company received EU funding recently.

Roberta METSOLA, EP President visit to Malta: speech at the The Malta Institute of Accountants

EP Plenary session - Malta's Golden Passport scheme circumventing EU sanctions against Russia

Roberta METSOLA, EP President visit to Malta - Visit to St Paul’s Missionary College

Roberta METSOLA, EP President visit to Malta - Visit to St Dorothy’s Senior School

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta - Speech at 'A Women's Archive at the University of Malta'

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta - Participation at the event 'Celebrating Women who push Boundaries'

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta - Visit to St. Augustine College

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta - Visit to San Anton School

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta - Visit to Foster Clarks, San Gwann

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta - Visit to Metallform Malta Ltd. Birżebbuġa

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta - Meeting with financial and economic actors in Malta: Deloitte Malta, PwC Malta and Ganado Advocates

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta - Visit to Our Lady Immaculate School, Msida

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta - Meeting at KPMG Malta

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Victoria Gozo ( Malta ) - Meeting with the Gozo Business Chamber

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta - Meeting with students at St Albert the Great College

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta - Meeting with students at the Mediterranean College of Sport

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta - Address to the Malta Diversity & Inclusion Charter conference on "Women on Boards"

Official visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta - Visit to the National Archives

Roberta METSOLA, EP President, addresses the Malta Institute of Accountants. The Malta Institute of Accountants (MIA) provides professional guidance, technical support and continuing professional education to accountants.

Roberta METSOLA, EP President visit to Malta: extracts from the speech at the Malta Institute of Accountants

MEPs debate on Malta's Golden Passport scheme circumventing EU sanctions against Russia.

Malta's Golden Passport scheme circumventing EU sanctions against Russia: MEPs debate

Malta's Golden Passport scheme circumventing EU sanctions against Russia: closing statements by Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection, and by Adam SZŁAPKA, Polish Minister for European

Malta's Golden Passport scheme circumventing EU sanctions against Russia: opening statements by Adam SZŁAPKA, Polish Minister for European Affairs, and Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Prote

EP President Roberta METSOLA visits St Paul’s Missionary College in Rabat - Malta and meets with the students.

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta: extracts from the meeting at St Paul’s Missionary College in Rabat

EP President Roberta METSOLA visits Neo Group - Malta

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta: extracts from the visit to Neo Group

EP President Roberta METSOLA visits St Dorothy’s Senior School, in Malta and meets with the students.

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President, to Malta: extracts from the meeting at St Dorothy’s Senior School

Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, gives a speech at the University of Malta Valletta Campus dutring her official visit to Malta. This news item shows extracts from the speech of President Metsola.

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta: extracts from the speech at the University of Malta Valletta Campus (Malta)

Roberta METSOLA, EP President, pays a visit to Malta: extracts from the meeting at San Anton School, Mġarr and at St Augustine College, Pietà.

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta: extracts from the meeting at San Anton School, Mġarr (Malta) and at St Augustine College, Pietà (Malta)

Roberta METSOLA, EP President visits local industries: Metallform Malta and Foster Clarks.

Roberta METSOLA, EP President visit to Malta: extracts from the visit to local industries

Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with financial and economic actors in Malta: Deloitte Malta, PwC Malta and Ganado Advocates.

Roberta METSOLA, EP President visit to Malta: extracts from the meeting with financial and economic actors

Roberta METSOLA, EP President visits Our Lady Immaculate School, Msida

Roberta METSOLA, EP President visit to Malta: extracts from the meeting at Our Lady Immaculate School, Msida

Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, visits KPMG Malta, which is part of a global network of professional firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. This news item shows extracts from the arrival of President Metsola, the meeting and KPMG Malta event.

Roberta METSOLA, EP President visit to Malta: extracts from the meeting at KPMG Malta

EP President Roberta METSOLA meets with students at the St Albert the Great College in Malta.

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta: extracts from the meeting with students at the St Albert the Great College

Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, meets with students at the Mediterranean College of Sport during her official visit to Malta. This news item shows extracts from President Metsola walking in the corridors and talking with teachers and students at the Mediterranean College of Sport.

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta: extracts from the meeting with students at the Mediterranean College of Sport

On the occasion of her visit to Malta, in the "Saint Albert the Great College", European Parliament President Roberta Metsola addresses to the Malta Diversity & Inclusion Charter conference on "Women on Boards".

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta: extracts from the address to the Malta Diversity & Inclusion Charter conference on "Women on Boards"

In this video, Roberta METSOLA, EP President, visits the National Archives of Malta. She explores the archives' extensive collections, emphasizing the importance of preserving Malta's historical documents for future generations. She meets with the staff and talks about their efforts in digitizing materials and enhancing public access. The National Archives of Malta, established in 2005, serves as the main repository for the country's historical documents and records. It is located in Rabat and houses a vast collection that includes government archives, legal documents, manuscripts, maps, and photographs, some dating back to the medieval period.

Visit by Roberta METSOLA, EP President to Malta: extracts from the visit to the National Archives

In this video, EP President Roberta METSOLA visits the San Andrea School in l-Imġarr (Malta), and meets the secondary school students. The San Andrea School, founded in 1992, provides education to over 1100 students, ages 2 to 16, from Pre-Nursery through Grade 12. During her visit, Metsola toured the center's facilities, visiting each classroom and engaging in conversations with the students. This meeting highlights Metsola's commitment to connecting with young citizens and listening to their aspirations, reflecting the EU's dedication to supporting youth involvement and awareness across its member states.

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