View source for David Casa

{{Short description|Maltese politician (born 1968)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name               = <!-- defaults to article title when left blank -->
| honorific_suffix   = [[Member of the European Parliament|MEP]]
| image              = 1718810218659 20240619 CASA David MT 003.jpg 
| office             = [[Member of the European Parliament]]<br />for [[Malta (European Parliament constituency)|Malta]]
| term_start         = 20 July 2004
| term_end           = 
| birth_date         = <!-- {{Birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} for living people supply only the year with {{Birth year and age|YYYY}} unless the exact date is already widely published, as per [[WP:DOB]]. For people who have died, use {{Birth date|YYYY|MM|DD}}. --> {{Birth date and age|1968|11|16}}
| birth_place        = [[Valletta]] 
| nationality        = <!-- use only when necessary per [[WP:INFONAT]] --> Maltese
| known_for          = Social rights, rule of law and anti-corruption activism, media freedom
| party              = [[Nationalist Party (Malta)|Partit Nazzjonalista]]
| otherparty         = [[European People's Party Group|European's People Party]]
| committees         = Committee on Employment and Social Rights, Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
| website            = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> [http://davidcasa.eu davidcasa.eu]
}}

'''David Casa''' (born 16 November 1968 in [[Valletta]]) is a [[Politics of Malta|Maltese politician]] and [[Member of the European Parliament]]. He is Malta's longest serving MEP, having served since June 2004.<ref>{{cite web |title=David Casa pulls out of race for PN secretary general post |url=http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2017-11-16/local-news/David-Casa-pulls-out-of-race-for-PN-secretary-general-6736181503 |website=Independent Malta |publisher=Independent Malta |access-date=14 July 2018}}</ref> As a member of the [[Nationalist Party (Malta)|Nationalist Party]] in Malta, he belongs to the [[European People's Party]]. 

Casa has been described by [[Politico Europe|Politico]] as a key MEP for his work as co-rapporteur on the Social Climate Fund.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-18 |title=Key MEPs want to link EU just transition funding to rule of law |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/meps-link-eu-just-transition-funding-rule-of-law/ |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=POLITICO |language=en-US}}</ref> As [[Quaestor (European Parliament)|Quaestor]], he was a member of the [[Bureau of the European Parliament]].

He is Co-Chair of the Media Working Group of the European Parliament and the EPP's Head of National Delegation for Malta. 

== Recent Work ==

=== Key legislation ===
In 2019, Casa successfully negotiated the [[Directive (EU) 2019/1158|Work-Life Balance Directive]], which enshrined paternal leave as an EU right for the first time.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-04-04 |title=MEPs adopted measures to reconcile work and family life {{!}} News {{!}} European Parliament |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20190402IPR34670/meps-adopted-measures-to-reconcile-work-and-family-life |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=www.europarl.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref> 

In 2021, he concluded negotiations on the [[European Social Fund Plus]], paving the way for €88 billion to be deployed in the 2021-2027 period.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-29 |title=Agreement reached on the European Social Fund+ for 2021-2027 {{!}} News {{!}} European Parliament |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20210129IPR96701/agreement-reached-on-the-european-social-fund-for-2021-2027 |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=www.europarl.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref>

In 2023, he finalised the Social Climate Fund, a multibillion euro proposal to ensure social justice in the EU's Fit-for-55 climate package under the [[European Green Deal]]. The report, led jointly with Dutch MEP [[Esther de Lange]] received decisive backing by the European Parliament in committee and plenary stages.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Kira |date=2022-02-11 |title=Widespread support for EU social climate fund in European Parliament |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/widespread-support-for-eu-social-climate-fund-in-european-parliament/ |access-date=2022-06-09 |website=www.euractiv.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> 

In 2024, as the [[European People's Party Group|EPP]]'s negotiator on the EU Disability Card and the EU Parking Card, he helped reach a deal to bolster access to mobility rights across the European Union for up to 100 people living with disabilities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Deal struck to expand disability rights for 100 million Europeans – Casa - The Malta Independent |url=https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2024-02-08/local-news/Deal-struck-to-expand-disability-rights-for-100-million-Europeans-Casa-6736258435 |access-date=2024-02-09 |website=www.independent.com.mt}}</ref>

=== Quaestor ===
He was elected [[Quaestor (European Parliament)|Quaestor]] of the European Parliament, having withheld his nomination for a second term to support the candidature of [[Roberta Metsola]] for [[President of the European Parliament]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pace |first=Yannick |date=2021-11-22 |title=David Casa To Step Down As Quaestor To Give Roberta Metsola ‘Best Chance’ In Bid For EP Top Job |url=https://lovinmalta.com/news/david-casa-to-step-down-as-quaestor-to-give-roberta-metsola-best-chance-in-bid-for-ep-top-job/ |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=Lovin Malta |language=en-GB}}</ref>

As Quaestor, he was responsible for establishing the [[Daphne Caruana Galizia]] Prize for Journalism.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-14 |title=New EU journalism prize in honour of Daphne Caruana Galizia awarded to Pegasus Project journalism team |url=https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/news/article/new-journalism-prize-in-honour-of-daphne-caruana-galizia-prize-awarded-to-pegasus-project-journalism-team |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=The Parliament Magazine |language=en}}</ref>

=== Coordinator, Employment and Social Affairs Committee ===
Casa is known for his work in the [[European Parliament Committee on Employment and Social Affairs]] and was the European Parliament's lead negotiator on landmark legislation on social affairs. He was the [[European People's Party Group|EPP Group]] Coordinator for the EMPL Committee for two terms during the 8th legislature, having been reelected unanimously in 2017.<ref>{{Cite news |title=David Casa re-elected as EPP Group coordinator on Committee on Employment, Social Affairs |work=The Malta Independent |url=https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2017-01-18/local-news/David-Casa-re-elected-as-EPP-Group-coordinator-on-the-Committee-on-Employment-and-Social-Affairs-6736169234 |access-date=2022-04-07}}</ref>
== European Parliament ==
Mr. Casa was the EPP coordinator for the employment and social affairs committee (EMPL) and also serves as the substitute for the economic and monetary affairs committee (ECON).

In the past years, David was a member of the TAXE committee and a full member of the PANA committee, which was entrusted with an inquiry into money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion in the [https://www.facebook.com/pg/DavidCasaMEP/about/?ref=page_internal European Union].

David Casa became the first ever Maltese member of the European Parliament to lead and successfully negotiate a directive on behalf of the European People's Party (EPP).<ref>{{Cite web |title=David Casa to be responsible for work-life balance directive - The Malta Independent |url=https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2017-10-04/local-news/David-Casa-to-be-responsible-for-work-life-balance-directive-6736179793 |access-date=2021-07-29 |website=www.independent.com.mt}}</ref>

The directive introduced 10 days of paid paternity leave, and out the 4 months of parental leave for each parent, 2 months will now be paid and non-transferable between parents. This law also provides for 5 days of annual carers' leave and the right to request flexible working arrangements.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Casa's Work Life Balance Directive one step closer to becoming law |url=https://www.eppgroup.eu/how-we-make-it-happen/with-eu-countries/malta/news/casa-s-directive-one-step-closer-to-becoming-law |access-date=2021-07-29 |website=www.eppgroup.eu |language=en}}</ref>

On 26 February 2019 the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs approved the agreement David Casa reached with the Council on the Work Life Balance Directive. This brings the proposed directive one step closer to becoming EU law. The agreement was approved with 31 votes in favour and 3 votes against.

In 2020, David Casa was nominated Co-Chair of the Media Working Group of the European Parliament.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MEP Casa nominated as Co-Chair of the EP’s Media Working Group |url=https://www.eppgroup.eu/how-we-make-it-happen/with-eu-countries/malta/news/mep-casa-nominated-as-co-chair-of-ep-s-media-working-group |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=www.eppgroup.eu |language=en}}</ref> The other Co-Chair is [[Renew Europe|Renew]] MEP [[Ramona Strugariu]].

In 2021, David Casa presided over the first edition of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism, for which he was responsible as Quaestor of the European Parliament and as Co-Chair of the Media Working Group. The first edition was won by [[Forbidden Stories]] for the [[Pegasus Project (investigation)|Pegasus Project]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=EPP Group: Pegasus Project wins first Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize {{!}} Press Club Brussels Europe |url=https://www.pressclub.be/press-releases/epp-group-pegasus-project-wins-first-daphne-caruana-galizia-prize/ |access-date=2022-04-08 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Early career==
* 1987: Member of the Executive Committee of the Union of Bankers
* 1990: Personal Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
* 1995: Adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister
* 1998: Member of the Council of the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions (CMTU)
* 1998: Personal Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
* 2001: Founder and Secretary-General of the 'Yes to Europe Movement'
* 2004: Elected as a Member of the European Parliament (2004 - 2009)
* 2009: Elected as a Member of the European Parliament (2009 - 2014)
* 2014: Elected as a Member of the European Parliament (2014 - 2019)
* 2019: Elected as a Member of the European Parliament (2019 - 2024)

=== Moviment Iva ===
David Casa was one of the founding members and subsequently Secretary General of the Moviment Iva ("Yes to Europe Movement"), an organisation which played a fundamental role in the campaign in favour of Malta's accession to the European Union in the run-up to the referendum on the [https://www.facebook.com/pg/DavidCasaMEP/about/?ref=page_internal subject].

Mr. Casa was Secretary of the Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee (MEUSAC) and subsequently served as advisor and Personal Assistant to Prof Guido de Marco during his tenure as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister. This role also ensured that David followed the process of membership closely since its inception. In 1999, when Professor Guido de Marco became President, David Casa was the Inter-Ministerial Coordinator for E [https://www.facebook.com/pg/DavidCasaMEP/about/?ref=page_internal .U. Matters in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs].

David was active in the Council of the Confederation of Malta Trade Unions and later he formed part of the Executive Committee of the Union of Bankers.

In the field of broadcasting, he led political programmes on Radio 101. Such programmes were aimed at providing information in relation to Malta and the European Union.

==Recognition==
* Croce dell'Ordine - Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM)

==References==
<references />

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{MEP}}
* {{Declaration of financial interests of the 6th term|28122_14-07-2004.PDF|mt}}
* [http://www.davidcasa.eu David Casa website]
{{Current EP Malta}}
{{EP Political Group EPP}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Casa, David}}
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Valletta]]
[[Category:Nationalist Party (Malta) MEPs]]
[[Category:MEPs for Malta 2004–2009]]
[[Category:MEPs for Malta 2009–2014]]
[[Category:MEPs for Malta 2014–2019]]
[[Category:MEPs for Malta 2019–2024]]
[[Category:MEPs for Malta 2024–2029]]