The SP4SE project partners, led by Confprofessioni, have finalised the working group report, a document that summarises the key recommendations emerging from the discussion and analysis activities conducted during the project. The work focused on the social protection needs of self-employed workers and professionals, a topic that has become central in light of the critical issues that emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic. The recommendations are divided into three priority thematic areas: Support during health emergencies, with proposals for administrative simplification, payment moratoria, income support and mental health protection; Supplementary healthcare, focusing on accessibility, flexible insurance models, mental well-being and social dialogue; Income support, with the aim of ensuring protection mechanisms in the event of business suspension or significant reduction in income, including professional development programmes. The working groups saw the active participation of representatives of social partners and stakeholders from the professional world, who shared experiences and concrete proposals based on the evidence gathered during the project. The report identifies good practices at the national level and proposes transferable models to promote a more equitable, inclusive, and resilient social protection system, in line with Principle 12 of the European Pillar of Social Rights. The document represents an important step forward in strengthening social dialogue and developing policies that are more responsive to the needs of self-employed professionals. Read the report.

The SP4SE (Social Protection for Self-Employed) project investigates social protection frameworks for self-employed individuals across EU Member States, particularly focusing on Professional Self-Employed (PSE)workers. It builds upon the European Pillar of Social Rights (2017) and the 2019 Council Recommendation on access to social protection, emphasising the role of social partners in shaping effective systems. The study highlights the fragmented and unequal protection for PSEs across the EU, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed systemic vulnerabilities. The second phase of the project analyses seven diverse EU countries—Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malta, and Romania—to assess the real-world conditions of PSE workers and the role of representative organizations. Through interviews with experts, policymakers, and professional association leaders, the study explores how social partners contribute to protection governance, representation, and policy development. A key finding is that well-organised professions, such as traditional liberal fields, benefit from structured social protection through professional funds or associations. In contrast, non-traditional or solo self-employed workers often lack representation, suffer limited access to benefits, and remain excluded from formal systems. The report argues that empowering social partners is essential for developing equitable and effective social protection schemes. Public institutions at both national and EU levels must support structured dialogue with these actors. Ultimately, the project aims to promote harmonised, inclusive policies that improve the living and working conditions of all self-employed workers and ensure intergenerational renewal in essential professions across Europe. Read the full report here.

The traditional model of full-time employment is increasingly being replaced by professional self-employment (PSE), encompassing independent, often intellectual, workers including freelancers, seasonal, and on-demand workers. These workers face diverse conditions influenced by factors such as age, gender, and region, and are impacted by digital gig platforms and entrepreneurial ventures. Despite their economic importance, PSEs often lack adequate social protection, facing barriers such as non-compulsory coverage and restrictive eligibility criteria. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the vulnerability of these workers, prompting temporary boosts in support but exposing long-standing gaps. Many countries show uneven regulation, especially for newer forms of self-employment that remain outside traditional insurance systems. The EU promotes freedom of establishment for the self-employed, yet social protection systems remain fragmented and misaligned across Member States. The 2019 Council Recommendation urged harmonised standards to ensure better access to social protection. The report emphasises the need for comparative analysis of national systems, enhanced data collection, and the vital role of social partners (e.g. unions, associations) in developing inclusive systems. Moving forward, fostering dialogue, cooperation, and mutual learning among EU stakeholders is essential to crafting equitable policies that reflect the evolving realities of the European labour market and ensure fair treatment for self-employed workers. This report presents the findings on a survey on national frameworks in the 27 EU Member States. Malta is featured in this report since MFPA is one of the partners in this project which is led by Confprofessioni and co-funded by the European Union. Read the report here.

CEPLIS, the European Council of Liberal Professions held its General Assembly on 7 June 2023 at the European Parliament. Apart from GA proceedings and reporting, representatives of the member organisations had the opportunity to share concerns and developments about professions in their respective countries. CEPLIS President Dr Gaetano Stella, highlighted that competences within the different professions need to be updated. He added that initial training programmes need to reflect these competences. The GA was concluded with two presentations. Dr Cathy Fitzgerald presented about a Centre of Excellence for CPD in Ireland outlined the importance of CPD for professionals and how their Centre is working to improve it. Founder and CEO of NOVA, Michaela Jamelska, spoke as human rights advocate with specific focus on technology and human rights. She emphasised how AI can facilitate and improve life but at the same time we cannot ignore human rights. She is also a Human Rights Advocate Board Advisor at the Global Women Hub

MFPA held a very fruitful meeting with the Minister for Inclusion and Voluntary Organisations, Hon Julia Farrugia Portelli on 15 June 2023. The small delegation included MFPA’s President Mr James Licari, CEO Ms Norma Camilleri and the General Secretary Ms Marcelle Abela. MFPA highlighted its mission and objectives as well as the various projects it carried out, particularly in recent years. The delegation also pointed out the sterling work that all of its 17 member organisations carry out and their contribution towards a better society. Hon Farrugia Portelli expressed her gratitude for the work that MFPA and voluntary organisations carry out.

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations, MFPA, recently held elections for its Executive Committee (EC). Mr James Licari, from the Association of Professional Conservators and Restorers, was elected as the new President, after having served for two years as Vice-President Membership. Prof Ruth Falzon, Malta Association for the Counselling Profession, and Mr Demis Cachia, Malta Association of Occupational Therapists, were confirmed as Honorary Secretary and Treasurer respectively. Ms Kerry Hermitage, Maltese Association of Social Workers, was elected as the new Vice President Membership while Ms Daniela Vassallo, Association of Speech-Language Pathologists, was elected as the new Vice President Administration. MFPA thanks outgoing President Mr Ben Rizzo, Malta Institute of Accountants, for almost three decades of service in MFPA’s EC. He will continue representing MFPA in both CEPLIS (Council for European Liberal Professions) where he currently is one of the Vice-Presidents, as well as the Civil Society Committee, within MCESD. Thanks also go to Ing Saviour Baldacchino (Chamber of Engineers) for his contribution to the EC in the past two years as Vice President Administration. MFPA comprises of 17 professional organisations and the new EC promises to continue on the work carried out by the previous EC and work on the organisation’s mission to promote professions and professional standards.

A delegation from MFPA had the opportunity to have a courtesy meeting with the President of the European Parliament, Hon Roberta Metsola. The meeting was held on 28 March 2023 at the European Parliament. Hon Metsola was briefed about the mission and objectives of MFPA. During the meeting, the delegation had the opportunity to touch upon various topics related not only to the 17 different professions represented within the Federation, but also to professionals in general.

On 28 March 2023, a delegation of eight representatives of MPFA attended the concluding conference of the EU-funded project Mutuus, which concerned social protection schemes for self-employed professionals. MFPA partnered with Confprofessioni, the Italian Federation of Professional Associations, which was the leader on this two-year long project. This conference was held at the European Parliament in Brussels and the MFPA delegation included members of the Executive Committee as well as representatives from some member organisations: Mr Ben Rizzo – President Mr James Licari – Vice-President Membership Ing Saviour Baldacchino – Vice-President Administration Mr Demis Cachia – Treasurer Ms Maryanne Ciappara – Kamra tal-Ispiżjara ta’ Malta Dr David Muscat – Dental Association of Malta Dr Jacob Vella- The Medical association of Malta Ms Marcelle Abela – General Secretary MFPA MFPA’s role throughout the project included the organisation of a national seminar which was held on 23 June 2022.

Radio programmes: MFPA produced a series of radio programmes on Campus FM between April and July 2022. During this series it presented the different professional organisations forming the Malta Federation of Professional Associations. Each programme presented a different organisation explaining what the profession entails, who they work with and how an individual can seek help and advice from the respective professional. This programme aimed to raise awareness about the different professions and provide information to listeners about when to seek help. It also showcased the sterling work that voluntary organisations carry out. The programme was presented by the CEO of MFPA Norma Camilleri. This project has been funded through the Voluntary Organisations Project Scheme managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector on behalf of Parliamentary Secretary for Sports, Recreation and Voluntary Organisations within the Ministry for Inclusion and Social Wellbeing. The archive of the programmes can be accessed here

In its mission to collaborate with international organisations, MFPA partnered with Confprofessioni, the Italian Federation of Liberal Professionals, on an EU Funded Project ‘Mutuus’, VP/2020/001 Support for Social Dialogue. The project was led by Confprofessioni, and other partners included CEPLIS, Equal Ireland and Uni Europa.  As part of its activities, MFPA organised a business breakfast in collaboration with The Malta Independent, entitled 'Social Benefits for Self-Employed: from Policy to Practice'. The event was held on Thursday 23 June 8:15 - 11am, at the Marriott Hotel & Spa, St Julians. The programme included: keynote speech by Mr Grazio Barbara, DG Social Security panel discussion moderated by Neil Camilleri, Editor-in-Chief, The Malta Independent with the participation of Ms Abigail Mamo, CEO, Malta Chamber of SME’s, Mr Gian Paul Gauci, Deputy CEO, Union Ħaddiema Magћqudin and Victor Carachi, President General Workers’ Union.   introductions by Mr Benjamin Rizzo, President MFPA and Ms Norma Camilleri, CEO MFPA Participants at the event included representatives from unions, professional associations, government as well as professionals in self-employment. Media reports covering the event and related articles: The Malta Independent – event coverage Lower birth rates led to necessity to resort to private pension schemes The evolving employment market, ensuring the fair adaptability to new market trends

MFPA held a seminar to conclude its 50th anniversary celebrations. Findings of the research "The perception of the public on the professional", carried out by MFPA, were presented. Sound work ethic, reasonable fees and ability to communicate/speak in a way that the client can understand are the top three priorities for service users when choosing a professional. Click here for a detailed report on the research. The project was funded by the Voluntary Organisations Project Scheme managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector. The programme included: A presentation of the research findings by Ms Vanessa Bajada, Director of Market Research at Esprimi. Panel discussion by Ms Roberta Farrugia Debono, Clinical psychologist & Family Therapist, Ing Helga Pizzuto, Chairperson MCCAA - Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority, and Rev Dr Carlo Calleja, Ethics lecturer, University of Malta. The discussion was moderated by Neil Camilleri, Editor-in-chief, The Malta Independent. Introductions by Mr Benjamin Rizzo, President MFPA and Ms Norma Camilleri, CEO MFPA Media reports covering the event and related articles: The Malta Independent – event coverage The perception of the public on the professional Cultivating Trust    

An eminent architect in the early 1970s, Mr Roger Degiorgio, shared his idea of setting up a federation for professional organisations, with Mr John Chadwick, then Director of the Commonwealth Foundation. The latter immediately gave his full support to this concept and on 19 February 1971, the Malta Federation of Professional Bodies was born, changing its name to Malta Federation of Professional Associations (MFPA) in 1999. It was founded by seven members, five of which are still active today: Kamra tal-Periti, Dental Association of Malta, Malta Institute of Accountants, Medical Association of Malta and Malta Association of Electrical Engineers, which later joined other engineering disciplines and formed the Chamber of Engineers. The other two founding members, the Economic Society of Malta and the Graduate Teachers Association dissolved a few years later. The late Economist Prof Salvinu Busuttil was the first President of MFPA. With the introduction of more courses at the University of Malta, the professional population in Malta increased, more professional organisations were established and hence the Federation started attracting more members. Today MFPA comprises 17 professional organisations representing approximately 10,000 professionals in Malta. The aims and objectives set in 1971 are still valid today: to promote different professions; to maintain professional standards; to promote inter-professional relationships; and to contribute towards the advancement of the interests of society. Since its foundation, MFPA sought to contribute to the improvement of Maltese society by bringing the professionals’ perspective to authorities, politicians and policy makers. It also participated actively during the period of Malta’s accession in the EU, the Pensions Reform as well as the Professional Qualifications Directive. One of the roles of the Federation is to bring together different member organisations to discuss topics of general and common interest. This leads to better understanding of different professions and promote interdisciplinary relationships. International affiliations For the past 17 years, the MFPA has been involved at European level through its membership within the European Council of the Liberal Professions, CEPLIS. It has contributed to various programmes such as the publication of the Common Values for Professionals. CEPLIS Director General Theodoros Koutroubas, claimed that “MFPA has achieved results and reputation inversely proportional to the size of its beautiful island country.” The Federation has also collaborated in various EU funded projects with Confprofessioni, the Italian Federation of Liberal professionals. Its President, Gaetano Stella, claimed that MFPA has always been able to play a key role in accompanying and representing Maltese liberal professionals, thanks to its presence and the continuity of its action: “The collaboration between our Confederations has been strengthened year after year by the common European commitment, by operating for the benefit of occupational sustainability of professional firms, training and professional ethics and joining forces in partnerships in important European projects.” The current President of MFPA, Ms Roberta Farrugia Debono, believes that the Federation has a very important role in society. She sees its main role to be the voice of the liberal professional in civil society: “It has also the role of putting on the national agenda issues that are of interest both to the professionals themselves as well as the persons who avail themselves of the services of the professional. It promotes good ethical practice at the basis of what constitutes the work of a professional.” Ms Farrugia Debono’s vision for the Federation is that it becomes more of a stakeholder on the national scene such that the collective expertise is used to promote a better society that is focussed on the well-being of every individual. Throughout this 50th anniversary year, MFPA will be holding various activities and events to increase its visibility. In recent years it embarked on two different projects: The Needs of the Professional in Gozo, funded by Gozo NGO scheme, and Professional Ethics: Safeguarding the service to the consumer, funded by the Voluntary Organisations Project Scheme, managed by MCVS. The research findings of the first highlighted the different challenges that professionals in Gozo encounter in Gozo rather than when working in Malta. The research in the second project outlined the perception of university students, new professionals, and consumers (service users) with regard to professional ethics. A new research will now be carried out to address the challenges highlighted in the previous two studies. MFPA strongly feels that its sector’s strict adherence to ethical values constitutes much more than a mere legal obligation. It is the ultimate guarantee of a high-quality service to the consumer and the cornerstone of a relationship of trust between the professional and the clients/patients. The Federation continues to develop initiatives that accentuate the importance of professional ethics at a national level, including collaboration with member EU states. It is its contribution towards a competitive and ever-growing economy that remains at the service of citizens. MFPA is grateful to all present and past Presidents and Council members who have contributed, on a voluntary basis, to the Federation during these 50 years. The member organisations forming part of the Federation are: Association of Podiatrists of Malta (APM) Association of Speech-Language Pathologists (ASLP) Chamber of Engineers (CoE) Dental Association of Malta (DAM) Kamra tal-Periti (KTP) Malta Association of Occupational Therapists (MAOT) Malta Association of Physiotherapists (MAP) Malta Association of Professional Conservators and Restorers (MAPCo-Re) Malta Association of Social Workers (MASW) Malta Association for the Counselling Profession (MACP) Malta Chamber of Pharmacists (MCOP) Malta Chamber of Psychologists (MCP) Malta Institute of Accountants (MIA) Malta Veterinary Association (MVA) Maltese Association of Youth Workers (MAY) Medical Association of Malta (MAM) Society of Medical Radiographers Malta (SRM)

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations is concerned about the impact that mass events (political, secular and religious) are having on the number of Covid-19 cases in Malta. MFPA reiterates the message it has issued in previous statements. It believes that, although resuming economical activities is important for the country, authorities must ensure the balance between the health of the nation and the economy. Opening up for tourism is not the same thing as promoting mass events. It is crucial to implement policies through an evidence-based approach, and to value what professionals are saying. An increase in cases will definitely not help destination management companies, the tourist industry and the government itself to promote our country as a safe destination. For instance, we should not be hosting mass events that were cancelled in other countries, merely to attract more tourists. We appeal for a sensible approach so that we can protect other segments within the tourism industry, which ensure a more constant support to our economy. Should the infection rate go out of control, the whole of the economy will suffer once again. We cannot jeopardise everyone’s sacrifices, especially those of front liners, earlier this year for a very small sector of the economy. It is also worrying that festa related activities, such as band marches and street parties, are being organised. These attract large groups of people without respecting social distancing and other precautions. We are also concerned that large number of people are congregating inside churches before pilgrimages take place. We appeal to ecclesiastical authorities to ensure that social distancing and use of masks/visors in churches are practiced in all churches. Politicians have a duty to safeguard public health, as much as to ensure a healthy economy. We must acknowledge that we are in “post partial lockdown period”, and not in “post covid-19 period”. Norms for all different economic operations and the population issued by the Superintendence of Public Health, which are still in force, should be publicly implemented by all, without regard to their societal rank. We should all set an example, whilst ensuring the credible enforcement of these precautions in society. The recent mass political activities, where those attending, including politicians and others addressing the event neither wore any masks/visors, nor observed the necessary social distancing, and resorting to frequent hand shaking, is very worrying and risky and also transmits to the general public the wrong message that CoVid-19 is now over. Once again, MFPA emphasizes the importance of unequivocal information to the public. Mixed messages are leading to individuals feeling anxious, insecure and afraid, exacerbating mental health issues.. The minimal recommendations constantly reiterated by WHO and the local Health Authorities, to wear masks, respect social distancing and avoid hand shaking and frequent sanitizing, should be respected by all. The MFPA represents a mix of professions from both the healthcare and economy sectors. It joins other organisations such as the specialist medical organisations, Public Health Association, as well as MFPA’s own organisations the Medical Association of Malta (MAM) and the Malta Chamber of Pharmacists (MCOP) who already issued statements asking the government to reconsider the present position on the holding of all forms of mass events. All member organisations are concerned and augur that all citizens realise the impact a second (and worse) wave may have on our country. This statement is endorsed by member organisations of MFPA: Association of Podiatrists of Malta, Association of Speech-Language Pathologists, Chamber of Engineers, Dental Association of Malta, Kamra tal-Periti, Malta Association for the Counselling Profession, Medical Association of Malta, Malta Association of Occupational Therapists, Malta Association of Physiotherapists, Malta Association of Professional Conservators and Restorers, Maltese Association of Social Workers, Maltese Association of Youth Workers, Malta Chamber of Pharmacists, Malta Chamber of Psychologists, Malta Institute of Accountants, Malta Veterinary Association and Society of Medical Radiographers. Government must be vigilant – stop mass events FINAL 28 Jul.docx

Hon. Minister Fearne, Minister for Health Hon Julia Farrugia, Minister for Inclusion and Social Well Being Hon Deo Debattista, Parliamentary Secretary Consumer Protection Mr. Karl Farrugia, CEO Procurement Ms Isabella Vella, CEO POYC Dear Hon. Minister Fearne, As President of the Malta Federation of Professional Association, I was alerted to another national health crisis that has been affecting the country in the past days regarding the shortage of HIV medication. Whilst I notice with satisfaction the recent news articles and the press release by the Ministry for Health of new medication for people living with HIV, currently this is not yet available leaving some of the persons living with HIV without the treatment they are required to take daily. I acknowledge that there are plans with relevant professionals for the drug replacement, the fact that there is currently shortage of the medication in the country for persons living with HIV is very worrying. Specialists in the field report that such shortage is having devastating and life-threatening impact on these persons’ lives. I was shocked to learn that people living with HIV have been reduced to beggars by using social media to request donation from other patients in order to curb the shortage. As President of MFPA, which brings together Professionals from the health sector and other sectors, I would like to show our solidarity with the professionals involved directly with this client group who are having a difficult time adhering to the core obligations of their profession. This is not out of their free will but because of lack of availability of necessary resources to do their work properly. I acknowledge the difficulties created by COVID-19 and by Brexit, however this cannot be used as an excuse for poor planning. The Health authorities were already aware that treatment was severely outdated and detrimental to the health of those who relied on them. Had timely action been taken, there would have been ample time to manage a proper transition even when considering the current difficulties. Whilst showing full solidarity with persons living with HIV, I remind you, that time and time again, MFPA has been very vocal in requesting that health authorities take the advice of professionals involved in a timely manner when effecting such changes this will surely have a more positive outcome for everyone. I am very aware that apart from physical consequences such shortage had a strong impact on the patients’ mental health status and thus we would like to support and encourage the professionals involved in supporting both physical and mental wellbeing of this patient group. I would like to appeal to everyone’s utmost good will and efforts to sort this issue as soon as possible and have the required medication available for patients before it is too late. This letter is being endorsed by the following associations: Association of Podiatry Malta Association of Speech-Language Pathologists Chamber of Engineers Dental Association Malta Malta Association of the Counselling Profession Malta Association of Occupational Therapists Malta Association of Physiotherapists Malta Association of Professional Conservators and Restorers Malta Association of Social Workers Malta Association of Youth Workers Malta Chamber of Psychologists Malta Veterinarian Association Society of Medical Radiographers Roberta Farrugia Debono President Malta Federation of Professional Associations

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations (MFPA), representing more than 10,000 professionals coming from health, industry and finance sectors, expresses its concerns about the persistent rise in the number of individuals resulting positive to Covid-19 virus as well as the alarming increase in the number of deaths. Notwithstanding that most of these fatalities have been reported to have underlying medical conditions, the fact remains that the virus was the cause of their demise. It is now more than ever imperative that enforcement of the measures issued by the Superintendence of Public Health, is done in a consistent and systematic way so that the situation can be brought back under control. MFPA calls on the responsibility of each individual citizen to abide by the rules and guidelines (such as proper mask wearing, hand hygiene and social distancing) which are constantly advertised, to ensure the safety of all. MFPA encourages the government to continuously revise the restrictions, based on evidence and advice provided by health experts. It supports the Medical Association of Malta (MAM) in its repeated appeals to the health authorities to rapidly implement the proposals in the statement as necessary measures to bring the pandemic under control. MFPA reiterates the need for the government to give the unequivocal message to the public that we all need to continue to be vigilant. The Federation also urges all professionals to continue to embrace their ethical responsibility by acting as role models in our community and abiding by all precautionary measures. As WHO Director Tedros Ghebreyesus stressed, ‘No-one is safe until everyone is safe’. It is only with collective effort that society can bring down the numbers of infections and deaths caused by this virus. 14 October 2020 MFPA calls for Collective Responsibility 14 Oct.pdf

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations (MFPA) has voiced its concern on many occasions in the past months about Government undermining the professional advice given by health experts, in view of the reopening of the airport as well as the lifting of bans on mass events. MFPA has also expressed concern about the mixed messages that the Government has been passing to the general public, which are causing anxiety and confusion especially amongst vulnerable people. The numbers of Covid-19 cases have increased consistently to alarming levels since the mass events have taken place. In a recent statement, last week, MFPA joined several organisations in their appeal to the authorities to cancel mass events. The Federation supports the statements issued by its members, the Medical Association of Malta and the Kamra tal-Ispizjara ta’ Malta and events planned by its member organisations have all been cancelled. MFPA also believes that the Government should take immediate measures to bring the number of Covid-19 cases under control before vulnerable people become infected. It also agrees that the Government should do whatever is in its power to take control of the pandemic, before Malta becomes black-listed as a tourist destination as a result of the increased number of positive cases. Despite the drive to enhance economic activity the rise of positive cases could have long term effects on this same economy whilst also infecting our health work force, which is the workforce pillar that is containing this outbreak. The outbreak earlier this year showed we have excellent standards within the Superintendence of Public Health (SPH) which, when it was in control, came very close to getting rid of the virus on the island. MFPA is of the strong opinion that the SPH should continue being the leader in any decisions that are taken and not be side-lined by others with no expertise on health and the novel virus infections. This model worked out during the first wave also because the actions of SPH are supported by law and through official legal notices. The situation is deteriorating too quickly. We have seen a sudden increase in the R-factor, putting at risk both national health and the economy. MFPA, which represents more than 10,000 professionals in Malta, reiterates the messages it has put across in the past months. It appeals to the government to consult with health professionals and base its decisions on research-based evidence, as well as on the sudden increase of active cases. MFPA appeals to the authorities to cancel all mass events until the pandemic situation is once again under control. This statement is endorsed by member organisations of MFPA: Association of Podiatrists of Malta, Association of Speech-Language Pathologists, Chamber of Engineers, Dental Association of Malta, Kamra tal-Periti, Malta Association for the Counselling Profession, Medical Association of Malta, Malta Association of Occupational Therapists, Malta Association of Physiotherapists, Malta Association of Professional Conservators and Restorers, Maltese Association of Social Workers, Maltese Association of Youth Workers, Malta Chamber of Pharmacists, Malta Chamber of Psychologists, Malta Institute of Accountants, Malta Veterinary Association and Society of Medical Radiographers. 6 August 2020 MFPA supports MAM and Kamra tal-Ispizjara – 6 Aug at.docx

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations (MFPA) would like to show its dismay that once again professionals who are not listed in Annex A or B cannot avail themselves of any of the government schemes announced on Monday 8 June, despite the fact that they have incurred financial losses during the past three months. Professionals, especially those that are self-employed and employers still have had to pay rents and water and electricity bills despite the fact that their practices were either entirely closed or were obliged to drastically reduce the services they provided with the provision of basic emergency cover to assist very urgent cases. MFPA carried out a survey in May about the current working conditions of professionals. This followed another survey carried out in April, to have a clearer picture of the difficulties professionals are facing in the current situation. The following are the most important points and facts that emerged from the 834 responses received by individual professionals. Although this survey was carried out a few weeks ago, data collected is still relevant since none of the most recently announced measures addressed the financial difficulties faced by professionals. Self-employed health professionals were the worst hit in all issues addressed by the survey. Demographics 69.4% of the total respondents were healthcare professionals. The sample was made of 78.3% respondents who come from MFPA MOs and 21.7% were from other professions. The survey comprised of several employment categories: 55.7% were employed (40.5% in the public sector and 15.2% within the private sector), 21.6% self-employed, 14.9% full time employed and also with part-time private practice while 5.1% were part-time employed (2.2% with the private sector & 2.9% within the public sector). Job security 6.1% (52) of all respondents reported that they were made redundant during this period of Covid-19 situation. Of these 80.8% of these were health professionals while the rest were non-health related professionals. The absolute majority of these redundant professionals (62%) were self-employed. So again, self-employed health professionals were worst hit. 74.5% of those employed in the private sector claimed they felt that their job security was under threat. Financial losses When asked about financial losses, 19.3% reported up to 25% loss, 10.4% up to 50% loss, 9.2% up to 75% loss and 6.4% total loss of income (100%). Within the category of total loss, 77.4% of them were self-employed health professionals. In the first survey, a staggering 96.9% of self-employed professionals had reported they suffered a financial loss with 70.3% of them reporting a loss of more than 50% of their usual income. In the second survey, 92.8% of the self-employed respondents reported a loss in April with 22.8% of them suffered total loss of their income, 40% between 90% and 75% and 30% of them suffering a loss of between 50% to 25% of their income. Financial packages announced by the government were not of help to 69% of those in full-time employment in the private sector and to 52.6% of the self-employed. Only 7.9 % of the self-employed were eligible. 66.7% of the employers were not eligible either. Professionals as Employers A very small percentage of the total respondents (2.7%) were employers who employ a mix of professionals as well as ancillary staff. 56% reported that their staff could be at risk of losing their job while 20% were definitely at risk. 64% of the employers were non-health related professionals. Respondents were able to add additional comments. Several self-employed commented that their practice was drastically reduced placing them, their employees and families in strenuous conditions. Several also pointed out that they reduced their practice (even up to 90%) to abide by rules and follow guidelines issued by health authorities to ensure the safety of the general public, however to add insult to injury they were not eligible to apply for the €800/employee benefit like other sectors which had a similar or a lower reduction in activity. Respondents represented various sectors including health, education, development and financial services. In each of these groups there were professionals who suffered losses and have or are not considered eligible for support or compensation even though they have been contributing to the country’s economy like other sectors. MFPA calls for the government to take into account these facts reported by professionals and address them while fine tuning the measures announced on Monday. The scope of the incentives should be widened to include affected professionals. This statement is endorsed by member organisations of MFPA: Association of Podiatrists of Malta, Association of Speech-Language Pathologists, Chamber of Engineers, Dental Association of Malta, Kamra tal-Periti, Malta Association for the Counselling Profession, Medical Association of Malta, Malta Association of Occupational Therapists, Malta Association of Physiotherapists, Malta Association of Professional Conservators and Restorers, Maltese Association of Social Workers, Maltese Association of Youth Workers, Malta Chamber of Pharmacists, Malta Chamber of Psychologists, Malta Institute of Accountants, Malta Veterinary Association and Society of Medical Radiographers. MFPA 2nd survey Professionals once again ignored 12 June.docx

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations (MFPA) would like to voice its concern with regard to statements made on Sunday 31 May. Health authorities have been guiding us throughout these months to ensure the flattening of the curve of the Covid-19 pandemic and limit the number of cases and fatalities. They were very successful and Malta was even rated as one of the countries that best handled the pandemic. All of this instilled faith and full trust of the general public in the health authorities that the measures set were done in the best interest of public health. Current evidence by infection control experts shows that the risk of spreading the virus is still present. Based on the facts provided by experts, MFPA feels it is highly premature to state that Covid-19 is a thing of the past. Such a statement gives an illusion to the public and jeopardises the fruit of the measures and sacrifices that have been done. On 23 May MFPA issued a statement to express caution when relaxing certain measures. A strong economy is indeed important but this cannot be achieved without a healthy workforce. The country is equipped with the institutions and relevant entities to evaluate and take decisions in the best interest of society and these should be allowed to exercise their executive powers without interference. We witnessed a joint effort by the whole public who worked hand in hand with public health to abide by rules while learning to live in this new norm. Rules and legal notices were issued to protect everyone. MFPA believes that those found to have blatantly broken the law should not be exonerated from the respective fine. Anything short of this would be an affront to all the Health authorities who worked incessantly and to all front liners and healthcare workers who made huge sacrifices, often living away from their loved ones, to continue being of service to our country. This is an offence to the general public itself who made the sacrifice to stay inside and to businesses who suffered losses. In line with the previous statements issued by MFPA, once again we strongly appeal to the government to follow the advice of professionals, professional organisations and their expertise. It is also crucial that the public receives one unequivocal message and not conflicting ones from different authorities. Let us not jeopardise all the effort everyone has done to keep Malta safe. This statement is endorsed by member organisations of MFPA: Association of Podiatrists of Malta, Association of Speech-Language Pathologists, Chamber of Engineers, Dental Association of Malta, Kamra tal-Periti, Malta Association of Counselling for Professions, Medical Association of Malta, Malta Association of Occupational Therapists, Malta Association of Physiotherapists, Malta Association of Professional Conservators and Restorers, Maltese Association of Social Workers, Maltese Association of Youth Workers, Malta Chamber of Pharmacists, Malta Chamber of Psychologists, Malta Institute of Accountants, Malta Veterinary Association and Society of Medical Radiographers. MFPA PR – The public deserves one unequivocal message – 1 June.docx

Press Release This press release is being issued following a survey MFPA carried out in relation to Covid-19 situation and its effects on professionals. Summary of findings The Malta Federation of Professional Associations carried out a survey in the first week of April (30 March – 6 April), about the current working conditions of professionals. The aim was to have a clearer picture of the difficulties professionals are facing in the current situation and be in a position to make proposals to authorities. The following are the most important points and facts that emerged from the 1163 responses received by individual professionals. Respondents included both members of MFPA Member Organisations (MO) and other professionals. Demographics 65.3% of the total respondents were healthcare professionals. The sample was made of 83.8% respondents who come from MFPA MOs and 16.2% other professionals. The majority were females (56%). There were three different employment categories: 48.7% were employed, 17.7% employed and also with part-time private practice while 33.6% were self-employed. 53.2% were under 40 years old and 37.5% had children younger than 15 years of age. Working place 87.2% normally have face to face contact with clients, of which 64.4% work in clinics, hospitals or pharmacies. The absolute majority of self-employed (97.4%) see clients face to face. Respondents were asked whether they were at high risk of being infected with the Covid-19 virus and 33% reported they were. The survey enquired on the stress factors, specifically in relation to the last two weeks of March 2020 It was reported that 28% of the total respondents reported they worked longer hours since mid-March 72% feel more stressed than usual. Should the current situation persist for a further two months, 33% reported they think that their level of stress will increase. Self-employed reported the higher rate of stress (74.9%), compared to 70.5% of those who are employed and 70.6% employed with part-time private practice. Finally, the survey addressed financial factors Respondents were asked whether they suffered financial losses during the last two weeks of March. A staggering 96.9% of self-employed professionals reported they suffered a loss 70.3% of self-employed reported a loss of more than 50% of their usual income. 83.5% of those in full-time employment with part-time private practice also reported financial losses with 25.2% of these reporting a loss of more than 50%. When asked whether financial packages announced by the government will be of help to them, 62.7% of the self-employed reported that none of the packages apply to them, 25.8% did not know while only 11.5% reported that these packages will be helpful to them. 70.1% of self-employed suggested that tax credits could be one type of compensation. Other suggested compensations by all employment categories included: reducing utility bills, increase in health allowance, provide danger money, suspension of bank loans, subsidised salaries, provide wage supplement, and provision of additional monetary bonuses. 42.2% of the employed and 63.1% of those in employment with part-time private practice also reported that tax credits could be one type of compensation. A second survey will be issued this week which will take into consideration the fact that professionals can also be employers who employ other professionals and ancillary staff in their practices. These professionals have heavily invested in the premises of their practices as well as in very expensive equipment needed to offer a high quality professional service to the public. It is important to analyse how the current situation is impacting this category and their staff. MFPA Survey press release 24 April.docx

Over 10 thousand frontline professionals and close to the same amount of other professionals are facing challenges to keep offering a professional service to the general public despite the measures imposed to put the health of the citizens first. The Malta Federation of Professional Associations (MFPA) which represents 17 professional associations with almost 10,000 members, urges all professionals to continue respecting their ethical responsibilities in trying as much as possible to maintain continuity of service towards their clients and patients in these difficult times. MFPA urges professionals to remember the core values of their profession and to serve the public without any discrimination and with full commitment to the profession they form part of. However, for this to happen, MFPA is also appealing to the relevant authorities to provide all personal protective equipment to healthcare professionals and others who are constantly exposed to a higher risk of being infected with the Covid-19 virus. The current crisis which the whole world is living in brought along sudden changes which very few people were prepared for. We all had to find new ways of carrying out daily chores, new means of working by adopting teleworking facilities and drastically limiting our social contact in respect to social distancing directives. As with any other industry, professionals were also hit by this crisis and they had to find new ways to continue being of service to their clients and provide the services required. Some healthcare workers, who are in the forefront of this crisis, had to abandon their families temporarily, to be able to continue being of service to the most vulnerable. The Presidents of the Member Organisations of the MFPA are meeting regularly to discuss the different issues that are being faced by their members. The aim of these meetings is to provide inter-professional support and share good practices that can support the continuity of services in a safe manner. Some professionals have stopped their practice altogether leading to a great economic loss for them and their families. These professionals are not eligible to any support through the packages announced by government so far. Others are working longer hours than ever before at the detriment of their health, their quality of life and that of their families. Some of these professionals are not even financially compensated for this due to their professional grade. Several professionals, such as veterinarians, engineers and radiographers are now trying to work in different teams to reduce the risk that all of them get sick at the same time. Due to lack of resources and specific guidelines provided by authorities, some organizations, for instance the Dental Association of Malta, Malta Veterinary Association and Chamber of Pharmacists took the initiative to collate a series of guidelines to ensure safe practice as much as possible. The Chamber of Psychologists is providing ongoing training on conducting online therapy. The Association of Speech-Language Pathologists also encouraged its members to carry out telepractice and provided information. The Malta Association of Physiotherapists is striving to support the vulnerable groups within its workforce such as assuring that those who are pregnant or suffer from chronic conditions assist their clients via remote consultations, supporting the private physiotherapy sector so that they can assist healthy individuals within the community and mediating to those running private clinics to tap into COVID-19 Wage Supplement. Certain public and private health services in community and out-patients clinics, such as podiatry, occupational therapy and speech-language therapy have been suspended with the exception of urgent cases. Members of the Malta Association of the Counselling Profession and the Malta Association of Social Workers are also encouraging and supporting their members to continue intervening by exploring and using different mediums to keep in contact with vulnerable people. Associations and members are also involved in the creation of Helplines and taking part in these to support the community through providing counselling, support and assistance as requested. The Malta Chamber of Pharmacists is in constant contact with government authorities to ensure timely and extended pharmaceutical services to patients whilst safeguarding pharmacists who are frontliners in the community during this emergency. The Chamber of Engineers has also addressed the situation with its members to take care of following the national directives and has also highlighted the key role of engineers and encouraged their professional activity as far as possible for the common good. MFPA urges the government to meet professional organisations separately to understand their respective problems. Finally, all member organisations of MFPA appeal to the general public to follow rigorously the constant advice provided by the health authorities and healthcare professionals. We call on respect and common sense to ensure that the healthcare system does not suffer a sudden surge in patients’ needs. We also appeal to the competent government authorities to place Public Health first and foremost, before economic matters, and to take heed to the recommendations of professionals and their associations. We also take the opportunity to thank once again all healthcare workers who are in the forefront as well as the Superintendent of Public Health and the Minister of Health for their sterling service. MFPA: Covid 19 Measures for Professionals

The MFPA recently organised the first talk. Prof Matthew Montebello and Dr Charlie Abela delivered the talk on Artificial Intelligence. Other talks will be held on the last Thursday of every month.

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations (MFPA), through its representative on the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development MCESD, has endorsed the statement issued by the Council on the current political situation. The MFPA has as its core value the upholding of ethical behaviour. Thus, it stresses the obligation of the relevant authorities to uphold the rule of law, the need of justice to prevail in a timely manner, that nobody should be considered above the law and that national unity and stability should be prioritised by all stakeholders. The MFPA comprises of the following organisations: Malta Institute of Accountants (MIA), Malta Association of Professional Conservators and Restorers (MAPCo-Re), Dental Association of Malta (DAM), Chamber of Engineers (CoE), Medical Association of Malta (MAM), Kamra tal-Periti (KTP), Malta Chamber of Pharmacists (MCOP), Malta Chamber of Psychologists (MCP), Malta Association of Physiotherapists (MAP), Society of Medical Radiographers (SRM), Malta Association of Social Workers (MASW), Association of Speech-Language Pathologists (ASLP), Malta Veterinary Association (MVA), Maltese Association of Youth Workers (MAY), Malta Association of Counselling for Professions (MACP), Association of Podiatrists of Malta (APM) and Malta Association of Occupational Therapists (MAOT).

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations (MFPA) representing 17 professional associations is bound by values of integrity and ethical behaviour and feels the need to put across our ethical position. The one thing that binds us together as professional associations is our pledge to the higher values of integrity and ethical conduct in our practice. These values are enshrined in the individual profession’s code of ethics and form an integral part of the warrant commitment intended to safeguard society at large. Integrity, ethical behaviour and rule of law ensure that good governance prevails. Ethics encompasses good moral principles that should guide professionals in whatever position they may hold. Likewise politicians entrusted with the administration of the country are dual bound with the code of ethics for parliamentarians and in many cases also their professional code of ethics. Moreover, all citizens at any level of society, professionals or not, should not succumb to moral divestment. The promotion of professional ethics has been at the forefront of the MFPA’s agenda with a number of initiatives. Last year a survey conducted by the MFPA amongst university students and recent graduates established that, 91 percent of the respondents believed that the topic of ethics was not being given enough importance and that this should be addressed. As a Federation we are committed to continue investing in strengthening the moral and ethical behaviour of all professionals and the professionals of tomorrow. The same importance that we are placing on the upholding of ethical behaviour has also to be reflected in the nations governing institutions in order to safeguard the stability and sustained economic growth of the country. The MFPA comprises of 17 organisations Malta Institute of Accountants (MIA); Malta Association of Professional Conservators and Restorers (MAPCo-Re); Dental Association of Malta (DAM); Chamber of Engineers (CoE); Medical Association of Malta (MAM); Kamra tal-Periti (KTP); Malta Chamber of Pharmacists (MCOP); Malta Chamber of Psychologists (MCP); Malta Association of Physiotherapists (MAP); Society of Medical Radiographers (SRM); Malta Association of Social Workers (MASW); Association of Speech-Language Pathologists (ASLP); Malta Veterinary Association (MVA); Maltese Association of Youth Workers (MAY); Malta Association of Counselling for Professions (MACP); Association of Podiatrists of Malta (APM); Malta Association of Occupational Therapists (MAOT)

MFPA signed its first Memorandum of Understanding with a foreign federation for liberal professions. On 16 March 2018 a memorandum was signed between MFPA and the Union des Professions Liberales de Tunisie. Mr Ben Rizzo, President MFPA and Dr Faouzi Kechrid, President UPLT signed the MoU which took place at the Malta Chamber of Commerce.

MFPA organised a seminar entitled Professional Ethics: a Hub in Europe. The target of this seminar was the improvement of ethical qualifications and practices in a broad range of professions. It addressed Professional Ethics in the curricula of the disciplines leading to the exercise of a liberal profession. Students’ aspects, professional ethics and CPD programmes as well as the experience of neighbouring countries in professional ethics were also addressed. Presentations were delivered by Professor Benoit Rihoux, Universite’ Catholique de Louvain, Dr David Fabri and Professor Emanuel Agius from the University of Malta, Professor Theodoros Koutroubas, CEPLIS, Ing Helga Pizzuto, Chairperson MCCAA and Mr Ben Rizzo, President MFPA. The seminar was held at The Palace Hotel on 27 November 2017 thanks to Training Initiative Scheme funds from the Malta Council for Voluntary Sector.

MFPA delegates participated at EESC’s Group III Extraordinary meeting: The Liberal Professions A lever for the development of Europe – towards a European Manifesto for Professionals. The meeting was held at Campidoglio, Rome on 1 December 2017. The President of MFPA, Mr Ben Rizzo, chaired one of the sessions. MFPA was further represented by Ing Helga Pizzuto, vice-president MFPA, and Ms Norma Camilleri, MFPA officer.

The Malta Engineering Excellence Awards 2017 – 12th December 2017 PRESS RELEASE: 19th December 2017 The Chamber of Engineers launched 16th edition of the Malta Engineering Excellence Awards (MEEA) on the evening of the 12th of December 2017. The MEEAs 2017 were held under the distinguished patronage of H.E. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, President of Malta at the Verdala Palace. The MEEA showcased the excellence in engineering innovation and its positive impact on the Maltese society through three different awards: The Maurice Debono Lifetime Achievement, the Industrial Excellence Awards and the Best Student Projects’ CoE Awards. An amazing performance by the Harpist Dr Lydia Buttigieg opened the evening. An introduction to the MEEA by Chairman, Ing. Michael D’Amato and a welcome address was then presented by Ing. Norman Zammit, President, Chamber of Engineers. The Maurice Debono Lifetime Achievement awarded was presented by her Excellency Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca to Ing. Helga Pizzuto and to Ing. Anton V. Cutajar. Aviation Cosmetics Malta Ltd, Altern Ltd and Malta Life Sciences Park were the three nominees for the Industrial Excellence Awards. Hon. Chris Agius, Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and the Property Market presented the awards for the Industrial Excellence Awards to the winner, Malta Life Sciences Park. The Best Student Projects’ CoE Awards were divided into 3 streams; Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) best project awards. The nominated students for the Mechanical Engineering Stream were Daniel Aquilina, Marlon Attard and Daniel Farrugia. Rachel Cauchi, Jeanluc Mangion and Geraldine Mifsud were the three nominated students for the best project in the Electrical Engineering Stream. As for ICT, the nominees were Nicholas Bonello, Leander Grech and John Napier. Hon. Chris Agius, Parliamentary Secretary presented the award to Daniel Farrugia for the Mechanical Stream, Geraldine Mifsud for the Electrical Stream and to John Napier for the ICT stream. Dr. Ing Glenn Cassar, representing Dr. Ing. Andrew Sammut, Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Prof. Ernest Cachia, Dean, Faculty of Information, Communications & Technology at the University of Malta gave encouraging speeches about the students, Industry-Academia collaboration and the impact of engineering in society. The evening recognised Engineering excellence in Malta and Engineering society and was closed by a reception where winners, nominees, engineers and guests were all invited to attend. Thanks go to the volunteers at the Chamber of Engineers, the nominees, academics, engineers, guests and our corporate sponsors namely Bank of Valletta plc and Citadel Insurance together with the supporting sponsors Enemalta, Hydrolectric, Abertax, Crane Currency, Konnekt and Malta Industrial Parks. Image attached: Figure: From Left to Right: Ing. Norman Zammit, President, Chamber of Engineers, Her Excellency Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, President of Malta; Ing Helga Pizzuto

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A small delegation from the Federation had a meeting with Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muscat on 1st November 2017. The delegation comprised of the five officials, the general secretary, two MFPA representatives on MEUSAC and two Federated Organisations presidents who brought specific issues related to their profession. The Federation briefed the Prime Minister on the setting up of a Professional EU desk for all professionals in Malta with the intervention of relevant authorities and two Ministries. The other topic was more searching as the Federation explained what action could be taken to bring professionals in Malta on a same level playing field if possible, having the same conditions of work and practice. The third topic entailed an update about the setting up of the Centre of Excellence for Professional Ethics for all European professionals, in Malta. Parliamentary Secretary Aaron Farrugia was also present and agreed to set a follow up meeting to discuss further some of the topics raised.

The Malta Federation for Professional Associations (MFPA), in collaboration with the University of Malta’s Centre for the Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), is organising a series of four public talks in June and July 2014. These talks give a taster of the University’s new flagship Programme in the Liberal Arts and Sciences (PLAS). Starting this October, PLAS will be offering an excellent opportunity for personal growth and professional development. The talks will be delivered by lecturers who will be teaching units within PLAS. CANCELLED The Psychology of Sexuality Monday 14 July The Environment: Issues and Challenges Dr Alan Deidun Monday 14 July Preserving our Treasures Mr James Licari The talks will be held between 19:00 and 20:00 at The Professional Centre, Sliema Road, Gzira.

On 9th October 2017 two representatives of MFPA had a meeting with the Minister for European Affairs to discuss the project of the Professional EU desk and the intervention of persons from the Ministry. Minister Dalli was accompanied by Permanent Secretary Mr J Vella.

The delegation from the Centre of Excellence for Professional Ethics (ECEPE) led by the Federation met Minister Bartolo. The delegation was made up of four officials from the Federation, two representatives from the University of Malta, two representatives from the Université catholique de Louvain, and two representatives from the European Council for Liberal Professions (CEPLIS). The delegation explained the state of play of the project at the moment and what steps are being taken to move forward including the introduction of the Professional EU Desk to help fill up issues related with ECEPE .

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Read more here.

Launch of the Professional Card in Malta by the Federation of Professional Associations The Hon Chris Said, Parliamentary Secretary for Public Dialogue and Information within the Office of the Prime Minister congratulated the Malta Federation of Professional Association for being in the forefront in the field of Professionals by issuing the professional card. The Professional Card is a concept that is mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC on Professional Recognition. The Directive recognises the introduction of professional cards issued by professional associations or organisations which cards would facilitate the monitoring of the career development of professionals and support mobility and professional recognition across Europe. The Card is intended to provide a simple tool to guarantee to whoever is concerned that the card holder is qualified to provide the specific services. It reflects that, the holder is an active member of the respective professional body, thereby ensuring adherence to a code of ethics and the provision of a quality service. Over the past 5 years work has been carried out by different professional organisations across Europe in order to establish the framework that would govern the issue of professional cards. An important aspect was that the cards will be accepted across Europe while recognizing that the professional card cannot replace or overrule national legislation related to recognition of qualifications and the regulation of professions by their individual national competent authorities. During the launch, the newly elected President of the Federation, Inġ Helga Pizzuto, announced that the next step planned is to take the card further by embarking in discussions with the competent authorities so that an electronic chip is introduced in the professional card holding the information as accepted by the respective competent authority and structured in a manner as agreed across European professional organisations. This way the professional card would be the electronic passport for the member within the member organisation for a freer movement of professionals within the EU. She explained how a number of professional organizations members in the Federation have also actively contributed to the work carried out at European level, and professional cards are being issued by more and more professional organisations. On this occasion the Professional Card will be introduced in Malta by the Federation for six member associations and the Federation Council members out of the 14 member organizations affiliated in the Federation. The card is recognised by CEPLIS the European Association for the liberal professionals, and the Card will carry the CEPLIS logo. Dr Theodoros Koutroubas Director General of CEPLIS visited Malta specifically for the Launch. He commended the Federation for its work amongst the local professionals as well as its contribution on a European level. The card has two sides. One side depicts the affiliation of the member organisation with the Federation and its affiliation with CEPLIS. The second side is the property of the member organisation and will have the emblem/logo of each member organisation and the name of the professional member of that organisation. MALTA FEDERATION OF PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS The idea to set up a professional centre in Malta where the various professions could meet and through various activities create the climate necessary for the development of an inter-disciplinary approach to their work was first aired in 1969 by Mr Roger Degiorgio, an eminent architect, when he mentioned this idea to Mr John Chadwick, Director of the Commonwealth Foundation, who gave immediate support to this concept. The notion was discussed with the various professional associations on the island and in 1970 seven professional organizations grouped together to become the Malta Federation which was formally constituted on the 19th February 1971, when the first official meeting was held. Since than, the Federation has moved on with currently 14 member organizations and actively working from its modern premises which serve as the Professional Centre in Gzira. Its still holds on to the original objective of creating the climate necessary for the development of an interdisciplinary approach to their work whilst maintaining their professional independence, professional standards and code of Ethics. It aims to promote the professions as a group and contribute towards the advancement of the interests of society. The main administrative body of the Federation is made up of the Council of the Federation headed by Ing Helga Pizzuto, President, helped by Ms. Maryanne Ciappara, Vice President and Mr. Ben Rizzo – Vice President, Ms. Gertrude Buttigieg, Hon. Secretary and Dr. Paula Vassallo, Hon. Treasurer. Another 17 members represent their respective affiliated organization on the council. Further details on the MFPA may be found on www.mfpa.org.mt or contacting the office on 21312888.

37th Year from its Foundation The Malta Federation of Professional Associations (MFPA) on the 3rd November 2007 celebrated ‘Federation Day’ being the 37th Year from its foundation The Federation has worked during the last 37 years towards unifying all professionals and has always worked for the development of an interdisciplinary approach. The Federation now has 12 member organisations with 4 other associations using its premises constantly. The evening started with a musical acoustic guitar recital conducted by Jesmond Psaila and Paul Sultana who are also two professional accountants. The President Benjamin Rizzo introduced the evening with a short speech on how the Federation has grown, he also highlighted the Federation’s impact and contribution in the Civil Society organisations in Malta by “building a structure for NGO’s which is robust and functional”. He mentioned the link the Federation has with the European Liberal Profession Council in Brussels and the impact and contribution the Federation has given in discussing EU directives related with Professionals. The Federation gave a valuable input in the introduction of 8 common values that should be present in codes of conduct embraced by all professionals within the EU. Dr. Alfred Magri Demajo , the first professional that headed the Federation’s council for two times, then presented mementoes to three council members who served as officials in the last Council of the Federation. These were Perit Alfred Briffa immediate past president, Anthony Dounblet accountant and treasurer of the Federation for the last two years and Ms Isabel Chircop a speech-language pathologist who served as honorary secretary of the Federation from 2003 till 2007. Benjamin Rizzo ACMA, FIA President The present members of the Federation are: Association of Speech-Language Pathologists, Association of Maltese Psychologists, Dental Association of Malta , Chamber of Engineers previously Chamber of Professional Engineers, Kamra tal-Periti, Malta Institute of Accountants, Malta Chamber of Pharmacists , Maltese Association of Youthworkers , Medical Association of Malta, Malta Veterinary Association, Association of Professional Conservators-Restorers, Maltese Association of Social Workers. 37 Sena mit-twaqqif tal-Federazzjoni Maltija ta’ Assoċċazjonijiet tal-profesjonisti Fit-3 ta’ Novembru, 2007, Il-Federazzjoni Maltija ta’ Assoċċazjonijiet tal-professjonisti (Federazzjoni) fakkret Jum il-Federazzjoni fit-37 anniversarju tat-twaqqif tagħha. F’dawn is-37 sena il-Federazzjoni ħadmet biex tgħaqqad flimkien l-għaqdiet tal-professjonisti u biex dawn jiżviluppaw metodi interdixxiplinarji ta’ kollaborazzjoni bejniethom. Illum il-Federazzjoni hi magħmula minn 12-il organiżżazjoni waqt li 4 assoċċazzjoniet oħra jagħmlu użu mill-faċilitajiet li toffri l-Federazzjoni. L-okkażżjoni ta’ Jum il- Federazzjoni kienet imfakkra b’serata mużikali minn dwett fuq il-gitarra akustika magħmul minn Jesmond Psaila and Paul Sultana li huma ukoll accountants professjonisti. Il-President Benjamin Rizzo fetaħ is-serata b’diskors qasir dwar l-iżvilupp tal-Federazzjoni. Hu semma l-kontribut tal- Federazzjoni lejn l-għaqdiet tas-Soċjeta Ċivili f’Malta biex jinħoloq qafas sod u attiv fost l-għaqdiet mhux governattivi. Hu tkellem ukoll dwar il-ħidma tal-Federazzjoni fuq livell Ewropew fil-European Liberal Profession Council fi Brussel. Semma l-kontribut tal-Federazzjoni fid-diskussjonijiet dwar direttivi ta’ l-UE li jitkellmu dwar il-professjonisti kif ukoll fit-tfassil ta’ 8 prinċipji komuni għal kodiċi ta’ kondotta għal-professjonisti kollha ewropej. Dr. Alfred Magri Demajo , l-ewwel professjonist li kien president tal-Federazzjoni għal darbtejn, ippreżenta rigal ta’ tifkira lil 3 membri tal-kunsill li temmew il-ħidma tagħhom fi ħdan il-Federazzjoniji. Dawn kienu il-Perit Alfred Briffa li temm il-kariga tiegħu ta’ president, Anthony Doublet (accountant) li serva bħala teżorier tal-Federazzjoni għal dawn l-aħħar sentejn u Isabel Chircop (speech-language pathologist) li kienet fil-kariga ta’ Segretarja onorarja bejn l-2003 u l-2007. Benjamin Rizzo ACMA, FIA President Il-membri tal-Federazzjoni huma: Association of Speech-Language Pathologists, Association of Maltese Psychologists, Dental Association of Malta , Chamber of Engineers previously Chamber of Professional Engineers, Kamra tal-Periti, Malta Institute of Accountants, Malta Chamber of Pharmacists , Maltese Association of Youthworkers , Medical Association of Malta, Malta Veterinary Association, Association of Professional Conservators-Restorers, Maltese Association of Social Workers.

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations in collaboration with the Malta Group of Professional Engineering Institutions and the Chamber of Engineers is organising a Public Talk on Thursday 11th July 2013 at 17:45 at the Radisson BLU, St. Julians. Kindly make a reservation to ensure a seat Email: info@info@mfpa.org.m or call mornings on 21312888/99471287 ABOUT THE PRESENTATION Are you capitalizing on technology? There is evidence that since the end of the second ice age, that is from some 400,000 years ago, Homo Sapiens has designed, manufactured and utilised artifacts to ameliorate his life. In various museums one is able to see what are believed to be fishing points, arrow heads, axes, sickles, chisels and knives amongst other artifacts that belonged to the Stone Age. The early technologies were obviously directed towards addressing basic survival needs; both biological and physiological needs such as food, drink, shelter, and security. Through these technologies human beings established a definite superiority on the other animal species found on Earth. The discovery and harnessing of fire was a major milestone in mankinds’ evolution; but the person who planted the first seed started a major revolution – the agricultural revolution, and this gave rise to new technologies. The technologies employed in land cultivation and harvesting being the most obvious; but new and important secondary technologies such as buildings, segregation of land, means of storage and transportation of produce and water started to be developed, together with means of trade. This revolution had a distinct impact on the way humans lived and their social outlooks and it also gave rise to novel needs which in turn generated more new technologies.. While weather and seasonality still remained a major influence on the way people lived at the time, animal power was the only source of energy that was controllable and usable. The wheel and the steam engine gave rise to another revolution – the industrial revolution. Technologies developed at a relatively faster rate, communities grew much larger, towns and cities emerged and this era saw the evolution of the masses. Mass production, mass education, mass entertainment, mass transportation, mass storage and standardisation were the order of the day. While machines produced tirelessly, humans could afford more, consumption and trade went up a number of levels. Technology however had its negative sides, such as the toll on the environment and the destructive capacity of war machines grew exponentially. The latter have grown to a stage where it is within our power to totally destroy ourselves. More recently technology gave rise to another revolution – the information and communications revolution. Technology is facilitating change at a rate that was never experienced before. Like never before technology is affecting our economy, trade, health, environment, social behavior, politics, education, transportation and our demography. How is technology affecting our daily lives? How can we maximize on the use of technology? How can we use technology in a sustainable manner? How will technology shape our future? ABOUT THE SPEAKER Inġ. Ray Vassallo started his engineering career at the tender age of 19 when he joined a ship repair yard as an apprentice. During his apprenticeship he obtained with distinction the City and Guilds Ordinary Technicians Diploma and Higher Technicians Diploma. He graduated with honours as a Mechanical Engineer from the University of Malta. In the heavy and marine industries Ing. Vassallo occupied a number of engineering posts ranging from that of production manager, to operations manager, to IT Development Manager. He furthered his studies and obtained a Masters degree in Business Administration from Brunel University. In the year 2001 he joined one of the leading hotel chains in Malta as Chief Engineer. Ing. Vassallo lectured at the University of Malta and other technical higher educational institutions. He is presently Deputy Director at the Institute of Mechanical Engineering at MCAST.

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations in collaboration with CEPLIS on an initiative of its Director General Dr. Theodoros Koutroubas will be hosting a talk by Mr. Ambroziewicz entitled Participating in EU funding: how to apply, how to build synergies, how to proceed with the documents Date: Wednesday 16th April 2014 Time: 19:00h Venue: MFPA Conference Hall, Professional Centre, Gzira This event is by invitation. Please inform the Federation by email to info@mfpa.org.mt should you be interested to attend by not later then Tuesday 15th April

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations (MFPA) is pleased to announce that it has elected Ben Rizzo as President. In his address during the MFPA’s forty third Annual General Meeting held last Monday 18th November at the Federation Premises, Mr. Rizzo stated that the Federation aims to strengthen its public profile for the benefit of the professions, by continuing to build positive relationships with the authorities, through representation in public fora such as the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development and meetings with political leaders. The Federation also aims to increase its presence through various new communication platforms, including a new website. During the Annual General Meeting, Mr. Rizzo also referred to the key activities that will be carried out during his presidency over the next year, which include the Federation’s input towards the Continuous Professional Development and the organisation of both public and interprofessional seminars. The remaining elected officials are Vice-Presidents, Ms Maryanne Ciappara (Malta Chamber of Pharmacists), and Ing. Helga Pizzuto ( Chamber of Engineers), Honorary Secretary, Ms Gertrude Buttigieg (Association of Speech-Language Pathologists), and Honorary Treasurer, Perit Alfred Briffa (Kamra tal Periti).

June 2013 MFPA meets Minister of Education The Malta Federation of Professional Associations Executive Council recently met with the Minister of Education, Hon. Evarist Bartolo, at the Professional Centre. During this fruitful meeting, a number of issues relating to professionals were discussed, with the Minister proposing that such meetings be held on a regular basis. Following a brief introduction to the Federation, legislation related to the delivery of professional services was discussed. At present there is a lot of disparity between legislation governing different professions. It is the Federation’s view that some pieces of legislation have proved more effective than others and should be used as templates for any new or revised legislation regulating professions. The Federation stated that there were a number of key elements that should be considered for introduction in all legislation. These included: Legal recognition of representative association: Associations representing professionals are considered to play a key role in the development of a high level of quality services and in self regulation. In fact in the ‘traditional’ professions, current legislation formally recognizes the role of such associations and in a number of instances these associations also provide a legally recognized input into the warranting process. This should be replicated across the board. Competent authorities: A closer working arrangement between competent authorities and professional associations can leave positive results for the benefit of society as a whole and can also support the competent authorities in delivering their work more effectively and efficiently. Warrants/CPD and Indemnity: The Federation is strongly of the opinion that warrants/practicing certificates should only be awarded after the person qualifies in a study field with a recognised tertiary education system and has undertaken a reasonable period of organised and supervised practice/training. The Federation also believes that it is time to commence an initially voluntary but concerted drive targeting the introduction of CPD as a legal requirement. This drive will be lead by the Federation’s members however close collaboration with the competent authorities is key to its success. During the meeting, education was also discussed. The professional sector is the one that absorbs those persons with the highest educational achievements. In addition practicing professionals have a thorough understanding of the requirements on the field. It is therefore, in the Federation’s view that as representative of the largest group of professionals, the organisation should be involved as a key stakeholder when education reforms are being drawn up. Similarly the Federation has much to contribute towards the development of appropriate courses of study both within the University and MCAST. Participation of the Federation at Faculty level would provide the appropriate floor for such exchange. On the issue of Civil Society, the Federation explained that it continues to contribute in the civil society fields especially in the MCESD and MEUSAC. The Federation has always taken an interest in civil society and social life in Malta and the result can now be seen. In concluding the meeting, the Federation stated that it will continue to strive to play an active role in society, contributing with its competencies to the better advancement of society and the nation as a whole. Following the meeting, Minister Bartolo took immediate action to contact the Federation and also delegate the work on the topics discussed.

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations (MFPA yesterday organised its third in a series of talks directed to the general public at their premises. The topic was Osteoporosis: Prevention of Osteoporosis through exercise. The talk was delivered by Ms. Ariane Calleja from the Society of Medical Radiographers (SRM) and a Senior Radiographer at the Medical Imaging department at Mater Dei Hospital Malta. After working for sometime in the bone density department, she conducted a research study during the last year on the imprtance of exercise for the prevention of osteoporosis. The talk was well attended and participants had the opportunity to share their experiences. A followup of this interesting talk will be presented by a representative of the Malta Association of Physiotherapists (MAP) next September.

The MFPA organised a talk on Ethics in Professions: an option or need? This was held on Friday 18th October 2013 at 7.30pm at the Federation’s Professional Center in Gzira. This talk focused on professional ethics towards clients and colleagues. The speaker, Rev. Prof. Jose’ Angel Lombo. who is a Professor of Ethics and Moral Philosophy at the prestigious Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, came purposely to Malta for this event. This talk was very well attended by maltese professionals.

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations will be holding a public talk entitled ‘Physiotherapy and Disease Protection’ on Thursday 14th November 2013 at 6:30pm at the Professional Centre in Gzira. The talk will be delivered by Mr Karl Spiteri a state registered physiotherapist. The talk will focus on non-Communicable diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases, are the most common cause of mortality in developed countries. These diseases pose a big burden on the national health care systems. Tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and the harmful use of alcohol increase the risk of or cause most NCDs. Physiotherapists can aid in preventing these type of chronic diseases by helping people become more active. The talk will discuss how physiotherapists can help in such diseases. This talk is open to the general public and is free of charge. Should you be interested to attend please send an email to info@mfpa.org.mt not later then 13th November 2013.

The Code of Ethics below is for guidance only. Common Values of the Liberal Professions in the European Union Introduction In March 2000 the European Council of Lisbon adopted a programme for reform. The aim was to make the EU the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010. The Commission’s Communication “Professional Services – Scope for more reform” of 5 September 2006 recognised the contribution that liberal professions make to the economy in all Member States and thus to the EU economy as a whole.. One major identifying factor of a profession is the willingness of individual practitioners to comply with ethical and professional standards that exceed the minimum legal requirements. Directive 2005/36/EC of 7 September 2005, makes it clear that where a service is provided cross border, the host Member State’s professional rules linked to professional qualifications, particularly those linked to consumer protection and safety shall apply. This recognises the current position in which codes of conduct for an individual professional may differ from one Member State to another and that those who use a cross-border service will expect it to be provided subject to the same ethical and practice standards as apply where they live. Article 37 of the Directive on Services in the Internal Market (2006/123/EC) requires Member States, in co-operation with the Commission, to encourage the drawing up at community level, of professional codes of conduct and to ensure that such codes are accessible at a distance by electronic means. The Resolution of the European Parliament of 13th October 2006 supported the adoption of codes of conduct by professional service providers and added that these should be drawn up with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders. The European Council of the Liberal Professions (CEPLIS) circulated a questionnaire to Interprofessional Groups in Member States and to Monoprofessional organisations at EU level seeking comments on specific values that all liberal professions should exhibit. The response was uniformly positive. CEPLI proposes to seek dialogue with other stakeholders at EU level with a view to securing agreement on these common values. This is intended to set the scene for individual professions at EU level to incorporate these values in codes of conduct to be applied throughout the EU. CEPLIS recognises that there will be differences in detail in codes for individual professions at EU level, for example in the area of confidentiality of information. There will also necessarily be differences in detail in the way that the values in the EU code are reflected in the codes at Member State level to recognise differences in legislation – for example on data protection – and in culture and tradition. The initiative should however result in considerable narrowing of differences in codes applicable in individual Member States. The activities of liberal professionals comprise intellectual tasks for the proper discharge of which a high level of legal and technical and sometimes scientific knowledge is required. The necessary knowledge is acquired by the successful completion of studies leading to a degree or diploma of higher education and/or the award of a recognised professional title. In some cases there may be additional requirements leading to registration with a regulatory body before practice is permitted. The liberal professional then becomes subject to the code of conduct applicable to that profession drawn up by the appropriate professional body with a focus on the interests of those who seek services from the professional concerned. That professional is aware that contravention of the provisions of the code may lead to disciplinary sanctions. Clients must have confidence that alleged contravention of the provisions of Codes of Conduct will be treated seriously by the professional body concerned and, if proved, will result in action proportionate to the seriousness of the breach being taken. Against this background, the following statement was adopted unanimously at the General Assembly of members of CEPLIS held inBrussels on 20 June 2007. CEPLIS considers that Codes of Conduct for liberal professions at EU level should contain provisions covering the following topics. · Confidentiality Confidentiality is the cornerstone for the building of trust between professionals and their clients or patients. Codes of Conduct should make it clear that professionals must respect and safeguard the confidentiality of information acquired in the course of providing professional services and ensure that information about an individual is not disclosed to others except in specified circumstances and, where possible, with the informed consent of the individual. · Participation in Continuous Professional Development Those who use professional services have a right to expect that practitioners will keep their knowledge in their field of practice up-to-date and will extend their competencies as the demand for new services develops. Codes of Conduct should make it clear that professionals have an unequivocal responsibility to maintain and develop competency in their field of practice and to this end must participate in continuous professional development throughout their working lives. · Independence and Impartiality Those who use liberal[1] professional services have a right to expect assessment of circumstances to be carried out and decisions to be made impartially and objectively, without pressure from external sources and without conflicts of interest. Codes of Conduct should make it clear that liberal professionals have the right to exercise personal professional judgement in the frame of their responsibilities, after taking into account all relevant circumstances, without any application of external influence. · .Honesty and Integrity Those who use liberal professional services have the right to expect to be treated with courtesy and respect. They are also entitled to receive sound professional advice in terms they will understand, as well as information before and during the provisions of services, both on the procedure it is intended to pursue to achieve the desired objective and on the fees involved. Codes of Conduct should make it clear that professionals are required to act with courtesy, honesty and integrity in their relationships with clients and others, including professional colleagues and must not engage in any activity or behaviour that would be likely to […]

Malta Federation of Professional Associations elects New Council During an EGM of the Malta Federation of Professional Associations held on 8th March 2011. Ing Helga Pizzuto was elected President of the MFPA. Ing Pizzuto currently holds the position of Chief Technology Officer with the Malta Communications Authority. Prior to this position, she has held a number of senior posts within the local electronics manufacturing and telecommunications industries. She has also held the position of head of the Management Efficiency Unit, government’s in-house consultancy group and provided independent consultancy services for a number of years. Ing Pizzuto was also President of the Chamber of Engineers for four years between 2006 and 2010. She is married and has a son. In her address she thanked the outgoing President Mr Benjamin Rizzo for his sterling contribution to the Federation and outlined her vision for the Federation during her tenure. ‘I am honoured to have been entrusted by my fellow colleagues with this responsibility. I am fully committed to this role and am convinced of the importance of the Federation to all professions in Malta. I encourage more representative bodies to join the Federation and look forward to a fruitful year ahead.’ She stated. The new council officials are as follows: Ing. Helga Pizzuto B.Elec Eng (Chamber of Engineers) President; Ms. Maryanne Ciappara B. Pharm; M. Phil (Malta Chamber of Pharmacists) Vice President; Mr. Benjamin Rizzo ACMA FIA (Malta Institute of Accountants) Vice President; Ms. Gertrude A. Buttigieg CommTh, BSc(Hons), PQDip, MSc . (Association of Speech-Language Pathologists) Hon. Secretary; Dr. Paula Vassallo BChD.,MSc (Lond).,DDPH RCS (Eng)., MBA(Warwick) (Dental Association of Malta) Hon. Treasurer. The Federation’s aims are amongst other to promote the professions and to maintain their standards and to contribute towards the advancement of the interests of society by maintaining high professional standards. The newly formed Council aims to keep working on the projects in hand, especially the promotion of the professional card. It will also maintain an active participation in relevant discussions at EU level through its affiliation with the European Council of the Liberal Professions (CEPLIS). As part of its programme it intends to continue to identify new areas of common interest where the Federation can play an instrumental role and to facilitate the exchange of best practices across the member associations.

Launch of the Professional Card in Malta by the Federation of Professional Associations The Hon Chris Said, Parliamentary Secretary for Public Dialogue and Information within the Office of the Prime Minister congratulated the Malta Federation of Professional Association for being in the forefront in the field of Professionals by issuing the professional card. The Professional Card is a concept that is mentioned in the EU Directive 2005/36/EC on Professional Recognition. The Directive recognises the introduction of professional cards issued by professional associations or organisations which cards would facilitate the monitoring of the career development of professionals and support mobility and professional recognition across Europe. The Card is intended to provide a simple tool to guarantee to whoever is concerned that the card holder is qualified to provide the specific services. It reflects that, the holder is an active member of the respective professional body, thereby ensuring adherence to a code of ethics and the provision of a quality service. Over the past 5 years work has been carried out by different professional organisations across Europe in order to establish the framework that would govern the issue of professional cards. An important aspect was that the cards will be accepted across Europe while recognizing that the professional card cannot replace or overrule national legislation related to recognition of qualifications and the regulation of professions by their individual national competent authorities. During the launch, the newly elected President of the Federation, Inġ Helga Pizzuto, announced that the next step planned is to take the card further by embarking in discussions with the competent authorities so that an electronic chip is introduced in the professional card holding the information as accepted by the respective competent authority and structured in a manner as agreed across European professional organisations. This way the professional card would be the electronic passport for the member within the member organisation for a freer movement of professionals within the EU. She explained how a number of professional organizations members in the Federation have also actively contributed to the work carried out at European level, and professional cards are being issued by more and more professional organisations. On this occasion the Professional Card will be introduced in Malta by the Federation for six member associations and the Federation Council members out of the 14 member organizations affiliated in the Federation. The card is recognised by CEPLIS the European Association for the liberal professionals, and the Card will carry the CEPLIS logo. Dr Theodoros Koutroubas Director General of CEPLIS visited Malta specifically for the Launch. He commended the Federation for its work amongst the local professionals as well as its contribution on a European level. The card has two sides. One side depicts the affiliation of the member organisation with the Federation and its affiliation with CEPLIS. The second side is the property of the member organisation and will have the emblem/logo of each member organisation and the name of the professional member of that organisation. MALTA FEDERATION OF PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS The idea to set up a professional centre in Malta where the various professions could meet and through various activities create the climate necessary for the development of an inter-disciplinary approach to their work was first aired in 1969 by Mr Roger Degiorgio, an eminent architect, when he mentioned this idea to Mr John Chadwick, Director of the Commonwealth Foundation, who gave immediate support to this concept. The notion was discussed with the various professional associations on the island and in 1970 seven professional organizations grouped together to become the Malta Federation which was formally constituted on the 19th February 1971, when the first official meeting was held. Since than, the Federation has moved on with currently 14 member organizations and actively working from its modern premises which serve as the Professional Centre in Gzira. Its still holds on to the original objective of creating the climate necessary for the development of an interdisciplinary approach to their work whilst maintaining their professional independence, professional standards and code of Ethics. It aims to promote the professions as a group and contribute towards the advancement of the interests of society. The main administrative body of the Federation is made up of the Council of the Federation headed by Ing Helga Pizzuto, President, helped by Ms. Maryanne Ciappara, Vice President and Mr. Ben Rizzo – Vice President, Ms. Gertrude Buttigieg, Hon. Secretary and Dr. Paula Vassallo, Hon. Treasurer. Another 17 members represent their respective affiliated organization on the council. Further details on the MFPA may be found on www.mfpa.org.mt or contacting the office on 21312888.

Mr Ben Rizzo, Vice President MFPA was recently re-elected on MEUSAC Core Group. The Federation congratulates all the three nominees elected, namely Mr Ben Rizzo, Ing. Saviour Baldacchino from the Chamber of Engineers and Ms. Maria Louisa Busuttil from the Malta Association of Physiotherapists. These will be representing the Civil Society on the Core Group. MEUSAC NEWS: http://www.meusac.gov.mt/Portals/FME/Documents/MEUSACNews062.pdf

The Strategic Review on Adequacy, Sustainability & Social Solidarity of the Pensions System was launched for Public Consultation. Material related to this review can be downloaded from the following link: www.pensionsreform.gov.mt under Strategic Review – December 2010. The Malta Federation of Professional Associations will be organising a Consultation Session for member organisations. Mr David Spiteri Gingell, Chairman of the Pensions Working Group will explain the rationale of the work carried out by the Pensions Working Group followed by a discussion. Feedback will be the Federation’s basis for this consultation. On the day, the Federation will be presenting an ‘Acknowledgement of Attendance’ to all participants. Ing. Helga Pizzuto, during her address will advise participants to collect this ‘Acknowledgement of Attendance’ from the registration desk at the end of the session. This will also serve as ‘proof of attendance’ for those organisations who would be considering this 2 hour session as CPD/CPE. Details as follow: Topic: Strategic Review on Adequacy, Sustainability & Social Solidarity of the Pensions System Date: Tuesday 14th June 2011 Time: 19:00h – 21:00h Venue: The Professional Centre, Sliema Road, Gzira. CPD/CPE: 2 hours (for organisations with CPD/CPE accreditation) Interested parties can confirm their attendance by email at info@mfpa.org.mt or call on 2131 2888 by not later then noon of Monday 13th June 2011. Light refreshments will be served. Kindly note that the seminar is free of charge. We urge you to participate at this Consultation Session.

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations (MFPA) is pleased to have had the opportunity to respond to a Consultation regarding the Green Paper – Modernising the Professional Qualifications Directive. MFPA put forward its views to the Commission on this important and delicate subject. The Federation trusts that its views will be taken constructively and that the contribution will serve to help evolve the Professional Qualifications Directive into a legislative instrument that will both develop and safeguard the delivery of high quality professional services to the benefit of the economic growth of Europe as a whole and to the well being of its citizens. The following are the MFPA replies to the specific questions put forward in the Green Paper. Preamble: Throughout the Green Paper and in the Directive itself, there is a wide definition of professional qualifications and the Directive lacks adequate distinction between a profession which requires a University qualification or qualification at level 4 or higher and a ‘profession’ which is a trade and requires vocational training at levels lower than level 4 in the Malta Qualification Framework (MQF) of the Malta Qualification Recognition Information Centre (MQRIC) – or EU equivalent recognition. Provisions for mutual recognition therefore become more complex. Question 1: Do you have any comments on the respective roles of the competent authorities in the Member State of departure and the receiving Member State? We support the roles as presented as long as the competent authorities are apolitical and have as their primary objective the safeguarding of the citizens interests and not the interest of any individual stakeholder. We therefore recommend that any revision of the Directive that establishes new roles for the competent authorities should also establish a framework governing the composition and operation of such Authorities. There should be a minimum of standards for competent authorities to be set up and recognised as such, given necessary IT infrastructure and administrative setup. Competent authorities should be viable without being commercial. Question 2: Do you agree that a professional card could have the following effects, depending on the card holder’s objectives? a) The card holder moves on a temporary basis (temporary mobility): – Option 1: the card would make any declaration which Member States can currently require under Article 7 of the Directive redundant. – Option 2: the declaration regime is maintained but the card could be presented in place of any accompanying documents. b) The card holder seeks automatic recognition of his qualifications: presentation of the card would accelerate the recognition procedure (receiving Member State should take a decision within two weeks instead of three months). c) The card holder seeks recognition of his qualifications which are not subject to automatic recognition (the general system): presentation of the card would accelerate the recognition procedure (receiving Member State would have to take a decision within one month instead of four months). a) Where the card holder moves on a temporary basis (temporary mobility), we are of the opinion that the declaration regime is maintained but the card could be presented in place of any accompanying documents. b) and c) Where the card holder seeks automatic recognition of his qualifications, we are concerned that the reduced timeframes being proposed are substantial in nature and cannot be achieved realistically given the complexity of a number of the professions and the operational capacity of the competent authorities. We understand that the Commission has received a number of complaints related to the current timeframes not being adhered to. Reducing these timeframes will compound the problem which needs to be addressed through better procedures and proper structuring of the competent authorities. Additionally we are of the opinion that there should be mechanisms introduced to safeguard the validity and verification of the Card to protect against fraud and falsification. Question 3: Do you agree that there would be important advantages to inserting the principle of partial access and specific criteria for its application into the Directive? (Please provide specific reasons for any derogation from the principle.) We are of the opinion that partial access to the profession should not be encouraged as it gives rise to a possible lack of clarity of competency and confusion for the end users. Ensuring qualifications and competence is safeguarding of service users and in the interest of society in general. Question 4: Do you support lowering the current threshold of two-thirds of the Member States to one-third (i.e. nine out of twenty seven Member States) as a condition for the creation of a common platform? Do you agree on the need for an Internal Market test (based on the proportionality principle) to ensure a common platform does not constitute a barrier for service providers from non-participating Member States? (Please give specific arguments for or against this approach.) Professional qualifications in regulated professions We are not in favour of lowering the current threshold of two-thirds of the Member States (MS). A common platform by its very name needs to be applicable across the larger majority of the MS. Rather we would suggest that a concerted effort, driven by the EU in collaboration with the representative professional organisations, be undertaken to establish more common platforms. In addition we would suggest that the professional competency requirements established by common platforms should be recognised as a benchmark across Europe as a means of ensuring quality standards. Question 5: Do you know any regulated professions where EU citizens might effectively face such situations? Please explain the profession, the qualifications and for which reasons these situations would not be justifiable. While we do not exclude the possibility that in some MS, there could be instances where qualification requirements may be disproportionate, we strongly recommend that any such conclusion be established only after a thorough and in depth review of the specific cases. The safeguarding of public safety/interest has to come before any other consideration and it is far more recommendable to err on the side of caution that to relax requirements and increase a public safety risk. Question 6: Would you […]

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations will be hosting the May 2012 CEPLIS meeting. This is the second time that Malta will be hosting CEPLIS. A morning seminar will be held on May 21st at the Excelsior Hotel. Further details will be advised at a later date.

CEPLIS with the support of the MFPA are holding a SEMINAR “Professional Services in a Borderless Europe” 21st MAY 2012 09:00h – 12:00h Venue: Grand Hotel Excelsior, Floriana – Malta The European Council of the Liberal Professions (CEPLIS) is the only inter-professional association bringing together liberal professionals at the European level. Its members, including the Malta Federation of Professional Associations (MFPA), are European associations aimed at representing, via a single voice, the professions to EU institutions and national associations at the level of Member States. 09:00 Registration 09:30 Opening address: Dr.Theodoros Koutrobas, Director General, CEPLIS 09:50 Welcome address: Ing. Helga Pizzuto, President, MFPA 10:00 Mr. John Fish, Former President, CCBE – Independence and the European Liberal Professions Discussion 10:45 Dr. Theodoros Koutroubas, Director General, CEPLIS – Introduction: Professional Qualifications Directive 11:00 Ms. Shirley Micallef , Mutual Recognition Coordinator, Malta Qualifications Council – Views from Malta on the Professional Qualifications Directive 11.15 Local Professions : Accountant, Pharmacist, Physiotherapist – Views on Continuous Professional Development and Professional Indemnity Insurance 11.30 Discussion Who should attend: MFPA member organisations, Competent Authorities, other NGOs representing professionals including Civil Society. The seminar is free of charge, however, prior registration is required. Interested participants are requested to register by contacting the Malta Federation of Professional Associations via Email: info@mfpa.org.mt or Tel: 2131 2888 by not later then Friday 18th May 2011 Seminar Programme

A delegation from the European Council of Liberal Professions (CEPLIS), together with members of the Malta Federation of Professional Associations (MFPA) met the President of Malta, H.E George Abela. The President of CEPLIS, Jacques Reignault, the Director General Prof. Theo Koutroubas and MFPA President Ing Helga Pizzuto presented Dr. Abela with a cheque towards the Community Chest Fund.

During a recent visit by the European Council of Liberal Professions (CEPLIS), past president and actual Vice President of the Malta Federation of Professional Associations, Mr. Benjamin Rizzo was one of ten persons honoured during a Gala Dinner, for their visionary spirit and dedicated work, in the support of the development of the liberal professions within the EU. Mr. Rizzo was instrumental in getting the Malta Federation affiliated to CEPLIS and is a long standing, active member of the CEPLIS council. Mr. Rizzo was also a key contributor to the drawing up of a code of conduct for professionals adopted by CEPLIS.

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations recently hosted a visit by The European Council of Liberal Professions (CEPLIS), during which a seminar on the Professional Qualifications Directive was organised. The seminar was attended by forty members representing local professional organisations, civil society, various authorities, as well as members of the CEPLIS delegation. The keynote speaker was Ms Shirley Micallef, Mutual Recognition Coordinator, Malta Qualifications Council, who discussed the local perspective on the Professional Qualifications Directive. This Directive, adopted in 2005, sets the rules for mutual recognition of professional qualifications between Member States. A Green Paper consultation was undertaken by the EU Commission with the objective of ‘modernising’ the Directive, one of the priority areas being the facilitation of mobility within the Single Market Act. In its submission as part of the consultation process, the Federation stated that throughout the Green Paper and in the Directive itself, the wide definition of professional qualifications leads to a lack of adequate distinction between professions which require a tertiary qualification and trades that require vocational training. Provisions for mutual recognition therefore become more complex. The Federation supported the roles of the competent authorities being put forward, as long as the competent authorities were independent in their operations and had as their primary objective the safeguarding of the citizens’ interests. In this regard, the Federation recommended that any revision of the Directive that establishes new roles for the competent authorities should also establish a framework governing the composition and operation of such authorities. On the issue of the Professional Card, which allows for mobility of professionals between EU Member States, the Federation stated that where the card holder moves on a temporary basis, the declaration regime should be maintained but the card could be presented in place of any accompanying documents. Where the card holder seeks automatic recognition of their qualifications, the Federation highlighted its concern that the reduced timeframes being proposed would be difficult to achieve realistically, given the complexity of a number of the professions and the operational capacity of the competent authorities. Additionally the Federation suggested that there should be mechanisms introduced to safeguard the validity and verification of the Card to protect against fraud and falsification. Parallel to its position, the Federation has been lobbying in various quarters to strengthen formal cooperation between competent authorities and its members which co-operation supports the better regulation of delivery of professional services to the benefit of the general public and society in general.

Benjamin Rizzo, vice president of the Malta Federation of Professional Associations (MFPA) has been elected president of the Civil Society Committee within the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development. This is the first time that civil society is being represented directly within this forum, following legislation recently brought into force. Mr Rizzo, who was elected for a two year term, is an accountant by profession. He was president of the MFPA during 2003-2005 and 2008-2010, and is also Malta’s representative of the MFPA within the European Council of the Liberal Professions (CEPLIS) having held this position for the last nine years. Indeed, he was awarded the CEPLIS award this year for his “visionary spirit and the work for the promotion of the European ideal”. Mr Rizzo has been the MFPA’s representative on the MCESD Civil Society Committee for the last eight years and is also a member of the MEUSAC Core Group, following his election as representative of civil society for the period 2009 and 2011. Mr Rizzo was also president of the Malta Institute of Accountants between 2001-2003 and has been an elected council member of the MIA for 18 years. The MCESD Civil Society Committee represents civil society organisations which represent sectors such as heritage, education, social and community advancement, persons with disability, gender equality, professions, health, the elderly and pensioners, local councils, consumer affairs, sports, agriculture, fisheries and youth.

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations (MFPA) is pleased to announce that it has re-elected Ing. Helga Pizzuto as its President for another term. In her address during the MFPA’s forty second Annual General Meeting, Ing. Pizzuto stated that the Federation aims to strengthen its public profile for the benefit of the professions, by continuing to build positive relationships with the authorities, through representation in public fora such as the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development and meetings at the highest political levels. The Federation also aims to increase its presence through various new communication platforms, including a new website, and the organisation of both public and inter-professional seminars. During the Annual General Meeting, Ing. Pizzuto also referred to the key activities carried out during her Presidency over the past year, including the Federation’s input towards the Professional Qualifications Directive, followed by a successful seminar held in collaboration with the European Council of the Liberal Professions (CEPLIS). Other elected officials are Vice-Presidents, Mr. Ben Rizzo (Malta Institute of Accountants) and Ms Maryanne Ciappara (Malta Chamber of Pharmacists), Honorary Secretary, Ms Gertrude Buttigieg (Association of Speech-Language Pathologists), and Honorary Treasurer, Dr Paula Vassallo (Dental Association of Malta).

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations will be organising the first of a series of PUBLIC TALKS TOPIC: STRESS by Ms. Roberta Zahra de Domenico Registered clinical psychologist and president of the Maltese Psychological Association Date: Thursday 7th February 2013 Time: 7pm Venue: 127, Professional Centre, Sliema Road, Gzira Those planning to attend are requested to send an email. This event is free of charge and on a first come, first serve basis. Further information call 21312888 or email info@mfpa.org.mt Website: www.mfpa.org.mt _______________________________________________________________________________________ SYNOPSIS In today’s world, the word stress has become quite a buzz word with everyone saying that he or she is stressed. But is all stress bad? No, not all stress is bad stress! A healthy amount of stress can be manageable and is inevitable in our life. This type of stress is called Eustress. This means that in general we all feel stressed at some point in our day or week but we are able to cope with this stress and move on. At times a healthy dose of stress helps us perform better too in certain situations like an exam or a job interview as we are more focussed and alert. However, when life circumstances become too much too handle, when we feel that the situation is overwhelming our normal coping abilities, then we feel stressed. It is very important to note that different people have different thresholds for stress and different reactions to the same stressful events. This makes stress a very subjective experience. What can be a stressful situation for one person could be seen by others as less stressful. So what makes a situation stressful is not the situation per se. If our perception of our ability to cope with the situation is that the situation is too big handle or that we do not have the skills to handle it then we become stressed. Considering that stress is highly personal and subjective experience, it is very difficult to say what the main causes of stress are. However, in the norm big events like the death of a close relative or friend, marital problems, financial difficulties, moving house or country, ill health and problems at the place of work or redundancy are all major stressors especially if they are unexpected. At the same time, even pleasant eventslike a wedding or the birth of a child could be stress inducing events if they tax the coping mechanisms of the persons involved. We need to be aware that stress can have a cumulative effect in that prolonged exposure to a number of stressors can have a detrimental effect to the psychological functioning of a person. It is usually the case that a stressed out person would realise that the stress had been building up over a long period of time and perhaps the early warning signs were there but the person did not take any notice of it. If the stress is prolonged, a person can suffer from what is known as burnout. Whilst normally getting burnout is associated with prolonged stress at the place of work, I am finding that even in other situations where there is prolonged stress, the same symptoms start to appear. These are depression, apathy, excessive anger or aggression, severe anxiety, severe mood swings and a strong sense of hopelessness. Stress can also affect our bodily functioning. Our body is programmed to tell us when there is a system overload and for different people, the bodily reactions could be different. Some people might get very anxious, others might get tension headaches, others would have difficulty sleeping at night, others get upset stomachs or a bout of irritable bowel syndrome and others get very moody or irritable. Everyone would have his or her Achilles’ heel that in times of stress would manifest itself. One major sign that we could be under stress is when we start getting sick frequently. High stress levels can have an impact on our immune system and therefore we easily get sick which in turn would make us feel even more run down and stressed out. This means that we need to learn to cope with stress such that we are more psychologically prepared to deal with life’s stressors. Ms. Roberta Zahra de Domenico, a registered clinical psychologist and president of the Maltese Psychological Association, will be tackling this subject in the first of a series of talks by professionals, organised by the Federation of Professional Bodies, aimed at the general public. Ms. Zahra de Domenico will be giving tips on how to understand the effects of stress, how to manage stress better by using thinking to handle stress, and to build psychological resistance against stressful situations.

Second in a series of public talks aimed at the general public organised by the Malta Federation of Professional Associations. The talk entitled The Voice: the human instrument will be delivered by Ms. Norma Camilleri a Registgered Speech Language Pathologist and a Council member of the Association of Speech Language Pathologists. Date: Friday 19th April 2013 Time: 6.30pm – 8pm Venue: MFPA Conference Hall, 127 Professional Centre, Sliema Rd., Gzira. Bookings by email: info@mfpa.org.mt or call on 21312888/99471287 Bookings are on a first come, first serve basis _____________________________________________________________________ Brief overview The human body is a fascinating machine the mechanics of which are taken for granted. The voice is no exception and one only decides to take care of it and maintain it when problems arise. In fact it is a complex organ that is brought into action a thousand times daily at varying degrees. Its function is surrounded by several myths. For instance several people think that only singers and actors require vocal warm up or that the fatter one is the stronger the voice will be. It is also often thought that persistent hoarseness does not mean there is anything wrong with the individual’s health. And what about vocal health? What should one feed the voice and what is the best environment for a strong voice? Together we will explore this marvellous instrument and discover which of the above statements are correct. This talk will be both informative and practical and is relevant to anyone who talks! Ms. Norma Camilleri, a registered speech language pathologist and a member of the Association of Speech Language Pathologists will be tackling this subject in the second of a series of talks by professionals, organised by the Federation of Professional Bodies, aimed at the general public.