Dr Ian Borg, the Parliamentary Secretary for EU Presidency 2017 and EU Funds in Malta is calling for more Maltese candidates to apply for posts as translators and interpreters in European institutions.

As he explained in this article published last week, Maltese, alongside English, are both official languages in Malta, as laid down in the Maltese Constitution.  This is the reason why, for example, the Government Gazette is bilingual. Both languages are equally authentic.

Maltese has official status alongside the other recognized languages of the European Union, opening up new opportunities for Maltese translators and interpreters in EU institutions. Dr Borg also says that “due to the fact that not enough Maltese-speaking translators are available, the legal requirement that all EU legislation is simultaneously published in all official languages has been suspended“.

Plans are under way to hold training sessions and mock exams to prepare the prospective candidates on what to expect during the examination and the approach they should take.  The objective is to ensure that enough candidates will be successful to take up the circa 40 posts of Maltese translators in Brussels which are currently vacant.