On 24 November 2009, Malta’s Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi nominated John Dalli, the current Minister for Social Policy, as the country’s representative within the European Commission.

On 27 November 2009, the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso presented the distribution of portfolios in the next European Commission, in which Mr. Dalli is allocated responsibility for Health and Consumer Policy.

As this portfolio will encompass pharmaceutical and medical devices policy, significant changes are made to the organisation of the Directorate-General for Health and Consumers (DG Sanco), with the transfer of Pharmaceutical Products and Cosmetics Units and Biotechnology, Pesticides and Health Unit.

The Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy will now be responsible for
• DG Health and Consumers (DG Sanco)
• the Community Plant Variety office,
• the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control,
• the European Food Safety Authority,
• the European Medicines Agency and
• the Executive Agency for Health and Consumers.

Mr. Dalli is currently the Minister for Social Policy of Malta. This portfolio includes family policy, social services, health and equality. In Malta, Mr. Dalli is known for trying to build consensus on health issues. At the moment, Mr. Dalli is working on Healthcare Reform in Malta.

John Dalli is a trained accountant and is a member of several professional representation organisations. He has previously lived in Brussels in 1977-79, working for Blue Bell Malta Limited, a textiles company.

John Dalli became involved in politics in 1971 with the Nationalist Party youth movement. He organised the movement at the grassroots level and served on its executive committee.

Before taking his new post, Mr. Dalli, like the other designated Commissioners, will have to face a hearing before the European Parliament, which will send him a series of written questions.

On the basis of written answers, parliamentary committees covering the area of competence of each Commissioner will hold hearings between 11 and 19 January 2010.

A final plenary parliamentary vote will take place on 26 January 2010, and the new college of Commissioners is expected to take office on 1 February 2010.