SERVIZZI EWROPEJ F’MALTA (SEM) ORDER (sem)

SERVIZZI EWROPEJ F’MALTA (SEM)

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 595.23

SERVIZZI EWROPEJ F’MALTA (SEM) ORDER

30th May, 2017

LEGAL NOTICE 154 of 2017, as amended by Legal Notice 445 of 2020.

The title of this order is the Servizzi Ewropej f’Malta

(SEM) Order.

(1)

There shall be an Agency, to be known as Servizzi

Ewropej f’Malta (SEM), hereinafter referred to as "the Agency",

which shall carry out functions related to the provision of information

on EU-related matters and assistance on EU funding programmes.

This Agency shall continue to perform the functions and

responsibilities in accordance with the decision taken by the

government in 2008 to re-establish MEUSAC.

(2) The agency shall be a body corporate having a separate

and distinct juridical and legal personality, and be capable of entering

into contracts, employing personnel, acquiring, holding and

disposing under any title whatsoever, of any kind of property for the

purposes of its operations, and of suing and being sued, and to which

any function or operation of Government may be assigned under this

or any other law.

(1)

The Agency shall be of service to citizens by

keeping them updated on the EU’s strategies, policies, initiatives and

obligations and engaging them to benefit from the rights and

opportunities deriving from EU membership, including EU funding.

(2)

The Agency shall assume the following duties

(a)

to inform and keep updated public and private

organisations and citizens through various fora on

the EU’s long-term strategies, policies, initiatives,

obligations, rights and opportunities;

(b)

to provide information and assistance on EU

funding programmes, in particular by advising and

assisting private non-profit organisations and local

government to draw up and submit competitive

project applications;

(c)

to provide guidance to private non-profit

organisations and local government on the

implementation of EU-funded projects;

(d)

to participate in MCESD meetings and provide in-

depth updates on the long-term strategies and

legislative proposals of the EU to social partners;

SERVIZZI EWROPEJ F’MALTA (SEM)

(e)

to issue regular policy briefs and updates on EU

legislative proposals and how EU legislation

applies to citizens and organisations; and

(f)

to create a network to facilitate communication

with EU national contact points and information

providers.

The Agency shall be housed in 280, Republic Street,

Valletta.

(1)

The Minister responsible for Servizzi Ewropej

f’Malta shall be the Minister responsible for Social Dialogue or such

other Minister as may be designated for such purpose by the Prime

Minister.

(2) The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry responsible for

Servizzi Ewropej f’Malta (SEM) shall supervise the Agency in terms

of article 29 of the Public Administration Act

Provided that the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry

responsible for Servizzi Ewropej f’Malta (SEM) may be assisted in

such supervision by another Permanent Secretary in accordance with

the proviso to article 14(6) of the Public Administration Act

The operations of the Agency shall follow an Agency

Performance Agreement which is to be entered into between the

Permanent Secretary and Servizzi Ewropej f’Malta (SEM).

The Agency shall be governed by the provisions of the

Public Finance Management Act unless otherwise stated in the

Agency Performance Agreement referred to in the article 6, in which

case the provisions of the Agency Performance Agreement shall

prevail.