Extra care had to be given to this white paper, he said, so as not to deprive these organisations of their flexibility. He said most of the work has been done and the white paper was in the process of being published.

Dr Gonzi was speaking during a meeting between the party’s European Parliament (EP) candidates and a number of NGOs and youth organisations.

The meeting had the two-fold task of introducing the Nationalist Party’s EP candidates to the organisations present and giving the NGOs the opportunity to put forward some of their issues.

Dr Gonzi recalled the discussions that took place as part of pre-EU accession work and described it as “a very positive process”. He said the EU valued the role of civil society and provided a structure for it to thrive.

He also mentioned the Malta Council of Economic and Social Development as part of the government’s efforts in this area, saying that it served as a “window from which civil society could make its contribution towards social development”.

In this respect he stressed the role of the Maltese European Parliamentarians as a voice for local civil society. “I want candidates to emphasise this role once elected”.

He said the PN’s voice, as a member of the largest parliamentary group in the EP, was very powerful. “This is something that should be kept in mind in June’s elections,” he concluded.