It was nice to see Dan O'Brien yesterday at the Le Meridian Pheonicia where he delivered a speech at a business breakfast about the global economy and the prospects of investment in Malta. Dan was my predecessor at the European Commission Delegation to Malta. I replaced him as the economic officer of the delegation following his departure in 1998 to work as an editor with the Economist Intelligence Unit where he stayed to this day. Although there was nothing particularly revealing in his presentation, his thoughts were well articulated and he demonstrated a good understanding of Malta's threats and opportunities in the context of the global economy.

One point I found particularly striking was his call for Malta not to allow partisan politics to waste our scarce human resources. The EU's freedom of movement increases the risks, he continued, since it is possible for qualified Maltese people to work elsewhere in Europe. I can easily relate to his remarks. Since participating in the European elections last year, professional opportunities overseas have been far greater than the openings available locally - despite the fact that, at this stage, I would rather live in Malta. At the same time, the national authorities complain of a shortage of local expertise in key areas of EU related public policy.

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