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The Republic of Malta joined the European Union during the 2004 enlargement round and although at the time only a small majority favored the accession, today around 69% of Maltese citizens regard EU membership as positive. Malta is the EU’s smallest member state in terms of size and population but the country holds geopolitical importance as an essential trading post for the EU.
In the EU, the main focus of Malta’s Permanent Representation is to ensure that the country’s interests are represented and safeguarded at the European level. YPFP is happy to welcome you to a discussion with HE Ambassador Daniel Azzopardi where you will have the opportunity to learn about the work of the representation as well as gain an insightful understanding of Malta’s foreign policy strategic objectives in the context of the European Union.
Speaker: HE Mr. Daniel Azzopardi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Malta to the European Union
Born in Malta on 12 October 1984
Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Malta to the European Union from July 2018 to date.
Daniel Azzopardi started his career in European Affairs in 2007 when he joined the Planning and Priorities Coordination Division within the Government of Malta as a Fund Manager, tasked with ensuring the efficient absorption and management of European assistance.
In March 2009 he took on his first assignment in Brussels as Technical Attaché in charge of the Energy and Land Transport dossier at the Permanent Representation of Malta to the European Union. He held this position until 2015, and during his term Mr Azzopardi was also responsible for liaising with European Union bodies on the implementation of national energy priorities, in particular Malta’s Energy Plan, as well as both the electricity interconnector and the gas pipeline connecting Malta to mainland Europe via Italy.
At the start of 2016, he returned to Malta as Chief Executive Officer of The Energy and Water Agency, a Government body tasked with steering and implementing Malta’s national policy on energy and water. He was advisor to the Maltese Government on EU affairs, the gas pipeline project, and the River Basin Management Plan.
In 2018 Mr Azzopardi was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of Malta to the European, a position which he holds to this day.
Ambassador Azzopardi holds a master’s degree in Contemporary European Studies, from the University of Sussex (UK), and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in European Studies from the University of Malta.
He is married to Dr Roberta Azzopardi and they have 3 children.