VALLETTA, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The European parliament has set up a new working group with the task of monitoring corruption and the rule of law, which will be focusing particularly on Malta for the time being.
The idea behind the working group is to create the standing structure to allow the European parliament to respond to new developments related to corruption and cross-border organized crime against the rule of law.
The new unit created within the European parliament's committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs, has been appointed to keep tabs on corruption and the rule of law within the EU and to address specific situations, such as that in Malta.
A recent MEP delegation to Malta had reported a lack of will on the part of the Maltese authorities to investigate political corruption and money laundering.
The working group is expected to hold hearings in the European parliament and send representatives to Malta to establish the gravity of the current threat to the rule of law and how this affects Malta's relations with EU countries.
Maltese MEP Roberta Metsola, who will be representing the European People's Party (EPP) on the working group, told Xinhua that the initiative demonstrated the European parliament's commitment to stopping the spread of corruption.
"This working group has been tasked with examining the tools available on a European level and come up with a series of recommendations," Metsola said.
"The intention is to protect not to punish. It is clear that Malta's solid international reputation...is being questioned," he said.
"The least I would have expected, in two years of scandal, is one political signal that this is being given the importance it deserves by the government. So far we have seen nothing. The work has already started and we will be electing a chairperson this week," he added.
