Malta's membership application was favorably reviewed, with EC concerns centering on the adjustment of the nation's economy and distinctive features of its legal structure.
In parliamentary elections, the Nationalist Party took back power and returned Eddie Fenech Adami to his position as prime minister. After the Labor Party had shunned many international pursuits during its reign from 1996 to 1998, the Nationalists showed renewed interest in EU membership and involvement in the NATO Partnership for Peace program.
