Between Monday and Wednesday next week, six MEPs of the Civil Liberties Committee will assess progress in the investigations, trials, and reforms that followed the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia during a visit to Malta.

Two and a half years after the last visit of an EP delegation to the country in the context of ongoing efforts to strengthen EU values, MEPs will return to Malta on 23-25 May.

The aim of the visit, which was organised upon the recommendation of the Monitoring Group on Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights (DRFMG), is to take stock of the latest developments as regards the rule of law, recent judicial reforms, safety of journalists, anti-corruption measures, and citizenship and residence by investment schemes.

Communication between Maltese authorities and the DRFMG, as well as the group’s work in this area, continued throughout the pandemic, the European Parliament said in a statement.

The delegation comprises the following MEPs: Vladimír Bilcik (EPP, Slovakia), Franco Roberti (S&D, Italy), Sophie In ‘T Veld (Renew, Netherlands, who is the Delegation Chair), Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield (Greens/EFA, France), Nicolaus Fest (ID, Germany), and Konstantinos Arvantis (The Left, Greece).

They will meet with President George Vella, Prime Minister Robert Abela and the Cabinet, Attorney General Victoria Buttigieg, Speaker Anglu Farrugia, and other MPs.  A meeting with Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti is yet to be confirmed.

They will also hold discussions with commissioners and senior civil servants, representatives of Europol (the EU’s police agency) and regulatory bodies, as well as NGOs, civil society, journalists and representatives of the Daphne Project, and the family of Daphne Caruana Galizia.