Prime Minister Joseph Muscat this evening told Parliament that Cyrus Engerer was not handed a letter of appointment as this was not the practice,

Replying to a parliamentary question by PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami, Dr Muscat said Mr Engerer, who moved from the PN to Labour before the election, was engaged at Dar Malta on 6 October, 2014 as the prime minister's special envoy to the EU.

His responsibilities are to coordinate with Permanent Representatives, their deputies, secretariats and ministers about heads of government meetings attended by the prime minister; to coordinate with European institutions on themes of interest to the prime minister; to assist the PM during his meetings in the EU and to represent the Office of the Prime minister within the Representation.

Along with the Permanent Representative he is tasked with preparing the prime minister's agenda for his meetings with EU institutions and follow-up the minutes of the meetings.

He is also responsible for coordinating issues relating to legal proceedings against Malta at a political level. 

The envoy was placed on pay scale three of special envoys.

He was previously engaged as consultant in June 2014.