Dear colleagues and friends,
We have decided to extend the registration period at reduced rate until 16 March in order to allow more members to register. I would be grateful if you would inform your members accordingly.
If some members tried to book a ticket via the dedicated AirMalta website, they probably encountered some difficulty accessing the site and/or finding and booking a flight. We have indeed discovered that the website is poised with severe and recurring operational problems (which have nothing to do with the organisation of the Congress) and we would like to apologise for the inconvenience. The best solution is to book a ticket via www.airmalta.com or any other website offering plane tickets.
The 2012 Cogress in Malta! Why Malta??
Because we are convinced that we absolutely must come and visit this wonderful island, which is a unique permanent open-air museum of history and architecture.
Well-informed tourists may think that Malta equals holiday resorts and sunny beaches (there aren’t that many anyway …), but this is far from the truth.
Malta is first and foremost an opportunity to discover yet another new member state, but this time at the opposite end of Europe (3,400km from Riga!), in a warm climate, in the middle of the Mediterranean.
We went there and have discovered extraordinary monuments: prehistoric temples 1000 years older than the pyramids of Egypt, awesome fortifications built by the Knights of St John (unique in the world) as well as their monumental palaces and “auberges” and the spectacular churches and cathedrals, not to mention major paintings by Caravaggio and others.
We were particularly struck by the still very visible presence of the various legacies of the invaders of all kinds, like the shape of houses for example (typically Arab). The language too is an extraordinary mix of Arab with Italian, French and English influences. Same goes for the Maltese cuisine, which is a genuine fusion of different Mediterranean tastes. And let us not forget the wines; some of which are excellent and you will have the opportunity to taste them during the various meals.
The village feasts, dedicated to the local patron saint, play a capital role in the Maltese social life; you will be able to attend such a “festa” (at least a replica thereof, one evening, not 3 days as is usually the case) and to get a taste of true village life. In a totally different style, the Knights of St John will be your hosts for the gala dinner in the vaulted cellars of their former hospital.
Another true discovery was Mdina, the silent city, also called the noble city; it is a small city of Arab origin, as the name suggests, which was rebuilt by the Knights in Baroque style after the devastating 1693 earthquake and today stays completely intact. And we have prepared a surprise for you … hush …
But just wandering about the streets Valletta (where you will visit the private home of a 21st century knight) or of one of the Three Cities, mainly Birgù (Vittoria), you will discover an impressive concentration of authentic historic buildings.
And you cannot leave Malta without going to Gozo, the sister island with its pretty villages and megalithic temples, and also to the amazing fish market at Marsaxlokk.
Finally, let us not forget that the Congress also encompasses the annual General Assembly and the workshops on specific subjects of particular interest to pensioners.
Don’t forget that Malta was and still is a true jewel and if you are not yet convinced, do come and see for yourselves!!
We sincerely hope that you will share our enthusiasm and we are looking forward to meeting in Malta you in large numbers.
Please use the link below to have a quick look of the video presentation:
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Here is the latest message that the My IntraComm team asked us to place on our site.
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Access to MyIntraComm, the Commission's intranet
In March 2011, the Commission suffered a major incident concerning IT security and therefore had to take drastic measures in order to assure total security of its IT systems and its data. All external access to MyIntraComm (via internet) had to be shut down and new security procedures have been introduced for access to the Commission's intranet.
A more secure internet access to MyIntraComm has been installed for active staff, based on an additional authentication procedure and the generation of unique codes via SMS sent to the users' mobile.
The situation regarding access to MyIntraComm by retired staff is more complicated due to the specificities of the authentication system for retired people. It is not therefore feasible to install the same solution for retired staff as the one introduced for active colleagues.
A temporary solution has thus been set up, which allows pensioners access via internet to a "snapshot" copy of MyIntraComm. This "snapshot" includes a copy of the MyIntraComm homepage, the "HR & Administration" site and the new site on the proposed changes to the Staff Regulations. An update of this "snapshot" copy is done once a week, ensuring that all the information displayed is up-to-date. Retired staff can access this "snapshot" site via:
https://myintracomm-ext.ec.europa.eu/retired, using the username (login) and password provided by the Commission . Please note this copy does not include features such as Search, Personalised and Collaboration Tools, publication of small ads, or access to the DGs' intranets.
The IT Department of the Commission are in the meantime doing everything possible to improve the access by retired staff to MyIntraComm
