It was three years ago that Malta became a member of the European Union, fulfilling the wishes of the majority of the country, which voted in favour of accession in a referendum held in March 2003 and confirmed it by electing the Nationalist Party to government a month later.

The campaign leading to the final decision was long and hard-fought, as the two major political parties held opposing views on the matter. The PN had for years made it its primary objective, applying to join the EU as far back as 1990. On the other hand, the Malta Labour Party had advocated a policy of partnership, not membership, and froze the membership application for the duration of their two-year truncated term in government between 1996 and 1998.

When the Nationalists were returned to power again in September 1998, they immediately re-activated the membership application. It was a political issue that took years to resolve, with Labour continuing to insist that partnership was a better option, and the decision to join was only taken in the 2003 referendum.

Malta became an EU member, together with nine other countries, on 1 May 2004.

For those who thought that membership would be a magic wand and that the country would go through some massive, favourable upheaval overnight, there was disappointment. But those who were more realistic knew that EU membership would be “felt” in the longer term, and that it would take years for Malta to see the full benefits of the new reality.

Three years have now passed, and it must be said that the fruits of the membership decision have started to be seen. The Labour Party has since changed its stand on the matter, accepting the fact that the Maltese people had decided that this was the direction they wanted to go in, and the political controversy has since subsided.

There are those who still insist that it was wrong for Malta to join and that we should move out, but these calls are few and far between, and cannot be said to raise any appreciable ripples. The general feeling is that now we are there, and we are there to stay.

Malta is now moving ahead towards joining the eurozone, and the government is working steadfastly to reach the target of switching over from the Maltese lira to the euro on 1 January. The indications are that Malta will be able to fulfil the necessary criteria established in the Maastricht Treaty. We will know soon whether this is so when the European Commission decides on the matter.

Even on this, the MLP has made it clear that it will continue following the road taken by the government, effectively removing the eurozone plan from the political agenda.

During the past three years, Malta has greatly benefited from the money made available from the union, and more funds will be coming for the period leading up to 2013, during which Malta will be a net receiver of EU assistance.

It is safe to say that the money that has been received has been put to good use in various sectors. For one thing, the road infrastructure is getting a much-needed revamp.

But Malta has gained much more than money by becoming an EU member. Its image in the eyes of potential foreign investors has drastically improved since then, and it is no wonder that Malta now stands a better chance of attracting investment – as it has already done – that would have otherwise probably gone elsewhere.

Politically, Malta has also found its seat at a table of 27 where important decisions that affect its future are taken. Without membership, Malta would not have had the opportunity to make its voice heard.