DR. MICHAEL FRENDO, LL.D., LL.M., M.P.

 

Michael Frendo has been a Member of the House of Representatives of Malta since 1987 and Minister of Foreign Affairs since the 3rd July 2004, having served as Parliamentary Secretary (Minister of State) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between March and July 2004. Dr Frendo has held various offices in past Governments including as Minister for Transport, Communications and Technology (1994-1996)with responsibility for civil aviation, airports, ports, arterial road construction, science and technology, land transport, shipping, telecommunications and information technology; Minister for Youth and Arts (1992-1994), with responsibility for the Broadcasting, the Arts, Theatre, Sport and Youth; and

Parliamentary Secretary (Minister of State) for Youth, Culture and Consumer Protection (1990-1992). In 1995 Michael Frendo served as President of Eurocontrol.

Born on the 29th July 1955, Michael Frendo graduated in Law from the University of Malta in 1977 (LL.D). In 1978/79 he specialised in European Community Law (LL.M) at the Centre for European Legal Studies, University of Exeter, United Kingdom.

In 2002/2003 Michael Frendo represented the Maltese National Parliament as a member of the European Convention (Convention on the Future of Europe) which formulated the text of the new Treaty on a Constitution for Europe under the chairmanship of Valery Giscard d'Estaing. Early in 2003, Michael Frendo was the first Maltese to address the European Parliament, in Maltese.

In April 2003, Michael Frendo was appointed Chairman of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Foreign and European Affairs having been a member of that Committee from 1999.

In the period 2003/2004 Michael Frendo was also concurrently an Observer Member of the European Parliament. Michael Frendo has also served as First Vice-President of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) between the Maltese Parliament and the European Parliament, Chairman of the Maltese Parliamentary Delegation to the European Parliament. He was a Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe between 1987 and 1992.

Dr Frendo has also been actively involved in the Partit Nazzjonalista (Nationalist Movement). He was the Founder/Director of the Partit Nazzjonalista United Kingdom Office in London between 1980 and 1982, and later served as the PN's Director, Press & Media, and Editorial Director at its daily and two weekly newspapers in the period 1982 and 1985.

Michael Frendo is a part time Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Law at the University of Malta and lectures in EU Law, Telecommunications Law and Private International Law. He was Managing Partner of Gatt Frendo Tufigno Advocates between 1997 and 2003.

He has published widely including several books on European affairs: "The Future is Europe" (2003), "Europe,The Case for Membership" (1996), "Malta in the Council of Europe" (1990), "Malta in the European Community - Commercial and Legal Considerations" (1989), "Is Malta Burning" (1981). He has also written extensively about legal issues relating to Information and Communications Technologies.

Michael Frendo is married to Irene nee Brincat. They have three children - Luke, Sara and Julia.