Malta’s parliamentary secretary in charge for the EU presidency, Ian Borg, said the EU had to be flexible to cater to the disparate needs of member states and restore belief in the European project. The small island in the Mediterranean will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU on January 1, 2017. It will be Malta's first time in the position since it joined the EU. The key priorities of the Maltese presidency include migration, the single market, security, social inclusion, Europe’s neighborhood, as well as maritime issues.