Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1493799
3 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 1 MARCH 2023 NEWS NICOLE MEILAK A highly-protracted process to select the European Commis- sion's head of representation in Malta has come to an end, with Lorenzo Vella picked by Brussels to take up the post in Valletta. Vella was until recently the Permanent Representative of Malta to the Council of Europe, since 2021. But Nationalist MEP David Casa has stated that the process has long been rife with specula- tion about pressures applied to influence the outcome, due to the circuitous manner in which the selection took place. Behind the scenes, the jockey- ing for political influence inside the Maltese representation was apparent from the beginning, when a certain number of four shortlisted candidates appeared to carry favour from different sectors of the Maltese party landscape. Lorenzo Vella, formerly dep- uty permanent representative of Malta to the EU and later a chief of staff to deputy prime ministrer Chris Fearne, was one of the initially shortlisted candi- dates. On one hand, the Maltese gov- ernment was keen to push its own candidate to the position of Head of Representation in Val- letta; other candidates counted on the support of the National- ist Party's luminaries in the Eu- ropean Parliament. But the process stalled in early 2022, when the shortlist of four male candidates from Malta was met with disfavour in Brus- sels for not having any women. One candidate dropped out of the contest later in the year after obtaining a high-level promotion in the civil service, while at least three women were added to the shortlist after the first selection for consideration. In February 2022, Nationalist MEP David Casa expressed his concern in a letter to the EC's secretary-general: two calls had been issued, first within the Commission, then an inter-in- stitutional call, but the process had started well ten months before the departure of the then-incumbent. "No candidates that applied were deemed suitable for the post, paving the way for a can- didate to be selected through an open call as a temporary agent, contrary to what I understand to be the Commission's policy to avoid the recruitment of tem- porary agents to these posts," Casa told the EC secretariat. "The timing of the first calls, the inability to find a suitable candidate from among those that applied and the choice of grade for the public call raise questions about the integrity of this process. Can you provide me with assurances that this process has been conducted in a correct and transparent manner in conformity with the stand- ards of good administration expected from the European Commission?" Casa asked. Now Casa has once again alert- ed the European Commission to procedural concerns con- cerning the appointment of the European Commission Head of Representation in Valletta. The position is important in terms of who gets to not just represent the European Com- mission's presence in Malta, but also how the image of Malta is portrayed in certain quarters in Brussels. "Speculation has been rife that the Maltese government has been strongly pushing particu- lar candidates for selection," Casa said in a statement today, reminding of the active rule of law issues that have curtailed the independence of public in- stitutions. "The Maltese people expect their rights to be defend- ed through the EU Commis- sion as guardian of the treaties. Therefore the integrity of the process for the selection of the new Head of Representation should be fully safeguarded." Lorenzo Vella is a former policy officer in the DG Em- ployment in Brussels, where he provided advice on the em- ployment policies of the Mal- tese government. In 2014 he moved to the Permanent Rep- resentation of Malta to the EU as technical attaché, and during the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, chaired the Social Questions Working Party. In 2017, Vella was appointed deputy permanent representa- tive of Malta to the EU, before returning to Malta in 2020 as chief of staff to deputy prime minister Chris Fearne. Delayed choice of EC head in Malta betrays political jockeying for influence CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 A development brief issued last year had limited residen- tial development on the Jer- ma site to a gross floor area of 26,000sq.m, tourism de- velopment to 33,000sq.m and commercial development to 6,000sq.m. However, the proposed pro- ject will see the area for resi- dential apartments increase to 29,720sq.m and the commercial space expand to 10,298sq.m. This will increase the total area of the project from 65,000sq.m identified in the development brief to 72,878sq.m. The local plan approved in 2006 had zoned the area for "mainly" tourist accommoda- tion but left a window open for residential development by saying that residential and commercial uses may be con- sidered under an approved de- velopment brief setting param- eters for planning. A project development state- ment (PDS) submitted by the developers does not give a clear definition for serviced apartments and whether these will be rented for short-term or long-term stays. Serviced apartments normally refers to fully furnished apart- ments, providing amenities for daily use, housekeeping and a range of other services, all in- cluded within the rental price. The project involves the dem- olition of the existing dilapi- dated hotel structure and its replacement by two eight-sto- rey blocks. According to the PDS, the project will be designed into two wings to restore the "visual link between the historic tower and the sea" as dictated by the development brief. The project will also include a plaza between the coast- al tower and the redeveloped site which will be landscaped and developed as a public open space which provides a direct link to the sea. The project will also include two basement levels used for car parking and lock-up garag- es for the residences and for the development of retail and catering outlets. Commercial space will also be located at basement level -2. The basement levels will ex- tend beneath the existing road, which will be pedestrianized and converted into an open space. One of the hotels will be a five-star hotel with 134 rooms, whilst the other hotel will con- sist of a six-room boutique ho- tel. Level 0 of the five-star hotel will include the hotel lobby, the hotel's administration, a bar and restaurant. A chapel is also being pro- posed in the residential block. The PDS acknowledges that the development will result in increased traffic in the area. It is estimated that the annual average daily traffic (the total traffic that passes along a road throughout a year, divided by 365 days) created by the pro- ject is estimated at 3,533 vehi- cles. The PDS prepared by envi- ronmental consultants ADI also refers to the inevitable visual impact due to the loca- tion of the building, its height and massing. But according to the con- sultants, the pedestrianisation and the rerouting of vehicular traffic will result in more open spaces for the public and thus improve the character of the area. Tourism allocation includes two hotels and 259 serviced apartments