European Centre of Competence in Professional Ethics (ECEPE)

Contributing towards the development of a more performing service economy and more cohesive society through the improvement of ethical qualifications and practices in a broad range of professions.

The objective of the European Centre of Competence in Professional Ethics (ECEPE) is to contribute to the development of a more performing service economy and more cohesive society in Southern European countries, in particular, Malta, through the improvement of ethical qualifications and practices in a broad range of professions.

To this end, the ECEPE aims at:

  • Developing research in the field of professional ethics
  • Developing initial as well as CPD (Continuing Professional Development) training in professional ethics
  • Disseminating societal awareness on professional ethics towards professionals, decision-makers, clients/service users and society at large.

It brings together the strengths of several core Maltese and Europe-based partners and develops a range of activities.

The ECEPE is still under development. The core initiators stem from six complementary organisations and institutions:

Foreward by Hon Minister Evarist Bartolo, Minister for Education and Employment

At a time when Citizens’ voices for a more accountable, participative and ethically-minded Union are ever multiplied, the initiative of the professions that traditionally occupy the role of the intermediary between the Citizens and the Sate, to reaffirm and make broadly known the principles on which their exercise must be based, is heartening. Their patients and clients, all of us, are empowered by these principles, as any abuse of power of control of information is put on the spot and a true sense of service to the society, to the Human being, is celebrated.

I am proud to share with all those reading these lines that our Country is aiming at becoming a pioneer in the struggle for a more ethical, principal-based approach to all matters relevant to education and employment. Our Presidency of the European Council, scheduled to be held during the first Semester of 2017, will have ethics as one of its flagships in all issues relevant to our Ministry’s responsibilities. The setting up of a Centre of Excellence in Professional Ethics in Malta is the fruit of collaboration between our Ministry, the Professional World and Academia. Its foundation will answer many issues relating to the teaching of applied professional ethics to graduates and will generally contribute to placing ethics in the centre of the debate, in these islands and Europe-wide.

Specialised research centres/networks in the field of professional ethics

SOCIAL PROTECTION FOR THE SELF-EMPLOYED

Date: 15 December 2023 The project aims at strengthening social dialogue at sectoral level by building the capacity of national social partners, in order to tackle the need of self-employed professionals to be covered by an adequate social protection. It aims at giving social partners the tools to contribute to the design of social protection reforms, and to autonomously set up and manage social protection schemes, in line with Council Recommendation 2019/387. The project will first investigate existing social protection schemes for the professional self-employed and especially the changes introduced since the pandemic. The aim is to better understand which are the actors engaged in each scheme, which are the beneficiaries, which are the governance models and where the funding comes from. With a view to defining a social protection model to mainstream, best practices will be identified, approved by the consortium, analysed and validated by the working groups and finally channelled into a modelling proposal. Along this process, social partners and all other stakeholders identified by the research will be targeted by an awareness raising campaign and engaged in the working groups, which will serve as a forum for discussing and exchanging ideas. Once the modelling proposal is developed, the capacity building phase begins. The purpose is to strengthen the capacity of national sectoral social partners and promote their role in ensuring an adequate social protection for the professional self-employed. Given its nature, agreeing on a common definition of self-employment is a demanding task. At the same time, social protection includes different profiles of social assistance and social security, with extensive variations among countries. In brief, this social dialogue project entails a real understanding of both demand and supply of social protection for the self-employed. But also, more concretely, wishes to give the right tools to close existing social protection gaps. List of participants The consortium is led by Confprofessioni, Italian Confederation of Liberal professions, and composed by the following entities: CEPLIS, European Council of the Liberal Professions, from Belgium; MFPA, Malta Federation of Professional Associations; Equal Ireland Education Research and Related Services Co. Ltd. Moreover, the following organisations are participating as associated partners: UNAPL, National Union of Liberal Professions, from France; Eurocadres, Council of European Professional and Managerial Staff; UNPLIB, the Union of Belgian Liberal and Intellectual Professions. Expected project results Report on social protection systems Mapping report on best practices and problems of social protection schemes in the 27 MS Call for action Working groups report Modelling proposal   Coordinator contact details Confprofessioni Viale Pasteur, 65 – 00144 Rome IT (+39) 06 542 20278 sp4se@confprofessioni.eu

Professionals Memorial Park

Date: 11 October 2022 MFPA wanted to honour the memory of professionals on one of the premises of one of the institutions where professions undertake their training, the University of Malta. On 22 April 2022, to celebrate Earth Day, the Federation planted trees in a designated area on the University Ring Road. A short video clip showing the event may be viewed here . The project was funded by the Voluntary Organisations Project Scheme managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector. The park was then officially inaugurated on Tuesday 11 October 2022 and dedicated to the late Professor Salvinu Busuttil who was the first President of MFPA between 1971 and 1975.

About Us

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations (MFPA) was set up in 1971 by seven founding organisations. Throughout the years, the professional population in Malta increased. Today MFPA comprises 17 professional organisations as full members and other three organisations with partial membership, representing no less than 10,000 professionals in Malta.