Richard Cachia Caruana is the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary permanent representative, Christopher Grima is first counsellor and deputy permanent representative and Tarcisio Zammit is ambassador of Malta to Belgium and Luxembourg and representative to the Political and Security Committee.
Included in the Cabinet of the Permanent Representative (Coreper – Co-Ordination and Inter-institutional Affairs) are Cajetan Schembri, Maria Pia Pace, Natasha Meli, Franklin Bonello and Therese Brincat – all enjoying the status of first secretary.
The political unit is made up of Rachael Sapiano (first secretary for General Affairs and External Relations), Martin Xuereb (military attaché), and Rebecca Vella (second secretary CFSP/ESDP).
The Public Affairs and Legal Unit is composed of Antoinette Cutajar (counsellor, European Parliament), John Gatt Rutter (first secretary, Institutions), Deborah Mangion (first secretary, Legal), and Iain Paul Galea (first secretary, Press).
Jean Pierre Micallef Grimaud is first secretary for EU Funds.
The Justice and Home Affairs unit is composed of Antoine Casha (Police attache) and Elaine Cutajar (first secretary, Schengen and Asylum).
The Economic and Financial Affairs Unit has Joseanne Bonnici as Customs attaché while the Competitiveness unit has Jacqueline Aquilina as Trade attaché. The Transport, Telecommunications and Energy unit has Nicolette Camilleri as attaché while the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs unit has Charles Sultana as attaché.
The administration unit is made up of Counsellor Victor Grech and Joe Vella, second secretary. There are 13 other locally-engaged persons, of whom three have Maltese surnames: Maria Victoria Sultana, Nadine Gatt Moreau and Maryanne Camilleri.
It was Leo Brincat who asked for this list and Foreign Minister Michael Frendo who gave the list.
No one on the list used to work for MIC, Dr Frendo said, and only one person had previously worked with a government authority.
The choice of employees is by the permanent secretary in the Foreign Ministry except for the technical attachés who are chosen by the respective ministries.
The permanent representative does not have the power to hire and fire and the person responsible for human resources is Victor Grech.
Meanwhile, in reply to another Mr Brincat question, Dr Frendo spoke about Mr Cachia Caruana’s contract.
This can be terminated by government ahead of its time, in which case the permanent representative is entitled to a three month notice or three months’ salary.If there is a change in government, prime minister or foreign minister, this official is expected to offer his resignation and his contract can be terminated immediately. In this case he is entitled to six month’s termination benefit.