15/03/2017 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 15 March during a meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to the EU (COREPER), the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU received the mandate from the member states to finally begin inter-institutional negotiations on the review of the status of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The deputy permanent representative for Malta, Neil Kerr, will negotiate on behalf of the Council. The first inter-institutional meeting will take place on 21 March next. The first meeting was initially planned for 13 February but was postponed following a disagreement on the agenda between the Council and European Parliament (see EUROPE 11725). In the meantime, many different informal meetings did, however, take place between the two institutions. (PH)