Following the Commission's Letter of Formal Notice to Malta with respect to the transposition of Clause 5 of the framework agreement annexed to Directive 1999/70/EC(1) of 28 June 1999 concerning the framework agreement on fixed-term work concluded by the European Trade Union Conference (ETUC), the Union of Industrial and Employers Federation (UNICE) and the European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation and of Enterprises of General Economic Interest (CEEP), the Maltese authorities wrote to the Commission on 8 June 2007 to notify that new legislation would come into force on 15 June 2007.

The Commission has examined the provisions of that new legislation (LN/51 of 2007) and can confirm that infringement 2005/4399 concerning the implementation in the Republic of Malta of Council Directive 1999/70/EC has not been closed as some issues remain outstanding.

Further contacts have taken place and the Commission has received in a letter dated 8 January 2008 further clarification on the outstanding issues from the Maltese authorities.

In the light of the most recent clarification from the Maltese authorities, the Commission will make recommendations in due course on how to proceed with the matter.

(1) Council Directive 1999/70/EC of 28 June 1999 concerning the framework agreement on fixed-term work concluded by ETUC, UNICE and CEEP, OJ L 175, 10.7.1999.