INTRODUCTION is proud to have assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first half of 2017. Consequently, we are holding numerous meetings and hosting thousands of delegates from Europe and other parts of the world. We aim to make your stay an enjoyable and productive one, and encourage you to take time to savour Malta’s natural beauty, culture, history and renowned hospitality.

VENUE

The State Hall, The

The main venue for the SICI General Assembly and Workshop is The Palace Hotel, Sliema. It is situated in the heart of Sliema, a coastal town situated on the northeast of the island. Once the home of Malta’s aristocracy, it has now become a major commercial area, very popular for shopping, bars, cafes, restaurants and hotels. From one side, the Sliema promontory offers spectacular views across to , and from the other side, there are breathtaking open sea views. The promenade that stretches for a couple of kilometres is ideal for long walks or runs, while the various benches provide a place for the locals to relax and socialize during warm summer evenings.

2 ACCOMMODATION Accommodation for delegations attending the SICI General Assembly and workshop may be at the same venue for the meeting, The Palace Hotel or at The Victoria Palace Hotel which is adjacent and interconnecting with the conference venue hotel. Both hotels deliver uncompromising quality. The culture and tradition of the islands seep into the fabric of the hotels from the gracious Victorian world blended with the elegance of contemporary room design and exemplary standards of service, facilities and cuisine.

Participants can book the hotel and airport transfers by following the links below:

SICI will reimburse only up to a maximum of Euro 160 per night per participant.

On booking one of the hotels above, participants will be automatically registered for the SICI GA and Workshop. Participants who will be staying in a different hotel are kindly requested to send an e-mail to Ms Brigitte Baldacchino ([email protected]) stating name, surname, country and where they will be staying so as to register and confirm their participation.

PLENARY MEETING ROOM AND OTHER FACILITIES The State Hall, having natural daylight, leads to a pre-function area that is interconnecting with Alexandra Garden which is ideal for an outside coffee break weather permitting. The State Hall is is fully equipped and air-conditioned with unlimited WiFi access.

2 3 CONFERENCE DINNER VENUE

The Verdala Palace in Buskett is a beautiful piece of architecture that houses the summer residence of the since 1987. It was built by Grandmaster de Verdalle in 1586 on a site surrounding the woodland of Buskett, which was used by the Knights for game hunting. The Verdala Palace is surrounded by a stone ditch, and was embellished by several grandmasters over the years. The building is spread over two floors and at each corner, there are towers five storeys high.

OPTIONAL TOURS We shall be organising two optional tours for participants as follows: Tuesday, 3rd October 2017 – Morning tour of Valletta, the Capital City; Saturday, 7th October 2017 – Visit to our sister island of Gozo by a 20 minute ferry.

Cost for one tour = Euro 20 Cost for both tours = Euro 30

Please click here to register for tours. Payment may be done in Malta.

4 DEPARTURE AND TRANSFER FROM HOTEL TO THE MALTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Participants should be at the airport at least one and a half hours in advance of the scheduled departure with the tickets, passports and luggage to complete all check-in formalities. Transfers from the Hotel to the Malta International Airport will be scheduled upon request.

SCHENGEN - VISA Should a visa be required in order to attend the SICI General Assembly and Workshop, it is the participant’s responsibility to access the visa website in order to obtain the necessary application. This would need to be filed at the diplomatic mission of the main destination or country of first entry into the Schengen area, or its representation. The participant must ensure that the application is lodged within the established deadlines in order to ensure timely review.

The relevant documentation may be obtained from Malta’s Central Visa Unit (CVU) portal: https://identitymalta.com/visa-application

For further information, kindly contact Malta’s Central Visa Unit (CVU) on +356 2204 2310/2421/2424 or [email protected].

OTHER PRACTICAL INFORMATION IMPORTANT NUMBERS Emergency 112 Ambulance 196 Police (+356) 2122 1111/2122 4001/2122 4007 Mater Dei Hospital (+356) 2545 0000 Passport Office: Malta (+356) 2122 2286

TIME ZONE The time zone in Malta is Central European Time (GMT+1).

CURRENCY Currency in Malta is the Euro.

COUNTRY CODE In order to make a call to Malta, the country code is +356.

4 5 USING MONEY IN MALTA There are several banks, bureaux de change and automated foreign exchange machines for the exchange of money. Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diner’s Club cards are accepted at every establishment that accepts payment by credit card. If any of the following logos appear on your card: Visa/Electron/Plus and Mastercard/Cirrus/Solo/Maestro, you will be able to withdraw money from the several ATMs around the island. It is important to check whether your home bank has authorised your card for international use if you plan on using a debit card.

POWER SUPPLY 230V ±10% electrical supply. Supply frequency is 50Hz.

Plug in use is the three-pin rectangular plug. Plug type in use is BS 1363. BS 4573 is used for shavers. Adapters are widely available.

CLIMATE October can be quite a rainy time for Malta, due to a general increase in the frequency of southerly tracking rain-bearing low pressure systems from the North Atlantic Ocean. Notwithstanding, there can be considerable variation from one October to the next.

During October, the average temperature starts off at 23°C and gradually drops down to 19°C by the end of the month. The average sea temperature for Malta in October is 24°C, which most people will find perfectly warm enough for swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving. At this time of the year, Malta enjoys an average of eleven hours of sunshine each day.

LANGUAGES Both Maltese and English are official languages. English is widely spoken all over the Island, followed by Italian.

6 CONTACTS

For further information, kindly contact Ms Brigitte Baldacchino

E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +356 2598 2358

Visit Malta is a valuable source of information about the Maltese Islands run by the Malta Tourism Authority. For further details, kindly go to http://www.visitmalta.com/. The Malta Tourism Authority also runs an information desk at the Arrivals Hall in Malta International Airport.

Contact Details are as follows:

Address: Auberge D’ Italie Merchants Street Valletta VLT 1170, Malta

Tel: +356 2291 5000 Email: [email protected] Website: www.mta.com.mt

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