Karmenu Vella

Karmenu Vella
European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
Assumed office
1 November 2014
President Jean-Claude Juncker
Preceded by Janez Potočnik (Environment)
Maria Damanaki (Maritime
Affairs and Fisheries)
Personal details
Born (1950-06-19) 19 June 1950
Żurrieq, Malta
Political party Labour Party
Spouse(s) Marianne Buhagiar
Children 2
Alma mater University of Malta
Sheffield Hallam University
Website Official website

Karmenu Vella is a Maltese politician and current member of the European Commission, where he is in charge of Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. He was one of the longest serving Maltese Parliamentarian with the Malta Labour Party.

Biography

He was born on 19 June 1950, in Zurrieq and is the eldest of three children. Vella lived in Zurrieq for 33 years from 1950 till 1983. He now lives in Birzebbugia with his wife Marianne née’ Buhagiar [BA(Hons.)]. The couple have two sons, John married to Miriam Dalli (M.E.P), and Philip married to Rania née’ Mamo. He is also a grandfather of two, Adam and Jack.[1]

Education

After his primary education in Zurrieq and his secondary education at the Lyceum Secondary School, he attended his pre-tertiary education at the University of Malta's Junior College till 1968. He attended the Royal University of Malta where he was conferred with a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies in 1970, and then graduated as an Architect and Civil Engineer in 1973. Between 1998 and 2000 he studied at Sheffield Hallam University where he was awarded a Master of Science degree in Tourism.

Political career

Labour Party

Karmenu Vella has had a long and distinguished service in the Labour Party (Malta). He started with the Labour Party in 1968 as a member of the National Executive Committee of the Labour Youth Movement and later a member of the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY). More recently, apart from being a member on the Labour Party's National Executive, Karmenu Vella held the post of Member and Group Co-ordinator for the Labour Party Parliamentary Group. In 2011 he was in charge of the electoral programme for the Maltese Labour Party for the 2013 general elections.

Parliament and national government

In 1968, at the age of 18, he was elected as the youngest member of the Zurrieq Civic Council until 1970. In 1976 he contested the general elections for the first time and was elected as the youngest Member of Parliament and since then he has continued serving as a Maltese Parliamentarian for thirty eight uninterrupted years as a Labour Member of Parliament. During his Parliamentary term in government, Vella has been nominated Minister for four times during the Labour Party Government. He was Minister for Public Works between 1981 and 1984, Minister for Industry from 1984 till 1987, Minister for Tourism between 1996 and 1998 and was again appointed as Tourism Minister in March 2013 until his nomination as EU Commissioner Designate in 2014. During his Parliamentary term in opposition, he served both as Shadow Minister for Tourism as well as Shadow Minister for Finance.

Professional career

During his professional career, Karmenu Vella has held a number of managerial and directorship posts. In 1973 he started his own private practice as an Architect and Civil Engineer, and during that same year he was appointed a director until 1976 on Mid Med Bank - Malta. In 1974 he joined the Libyan Arab Maltese Holding Company as its Managing Director until 1981. During that period he also served as a Director on a number of the Company's subsidiaries which included: Mediterranean Aviation Co Ltd., Medelec Switchgear Co Ltd., Mediterranean Power Electric Co Ltd., Rotos Zirayia Pumps Co Ltd., and Plastic Processing Co Ltd. In 2001 he was appointed Executive Chairman of Corinthia Hotels International till 2007 and then Executive Chairman of Corinthia's Mediterranean Construction Co Ltd., up to 2010. In 2010 he joined Betfair Group Ltd. as a director and sat on SMS-Mondial Travel Group's Board as Chairman until 2013.

Non-profit organisations

In 2007 Karmenu Vella was the founding Chairman of the Maltese Turkish Business Council. Between 2007 and 2013 he was appointed a member of the Vodafone Malta Foundation.[2]

Sports and cultural organisations

Karmenu has been very active in sports and cultural activities. He has been for a number of years the Honorary President for Birzebbugia Aquatic Sports Club, Honorary President for Zurrieq Bocci Club and Honorary President for Queen Victoria Band Club, Zurrieq.

References

  1. ↑ "Hon. Karmenu Vella MP". Parlament Ta' Malta. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  2. ↑ Profile: Mr Karmenu Vella. Ministry for Tourism.
Political offices
Preceded by
Tonio Borg		 Maltese European Commissioner
2014–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by
Janez Potočnik
as European Commissioner for Environment		 European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
2014–present
Preceded by
Maria Damanaki
as European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
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