Six Maltese 'heroes' selected for European Commission campaign

Six people from Malta have been selected as ‘local heroes’ in an ongoing campaign by the European Commission knowns as the EU Protects campaign, which will features 274 individuals from the 28 EU member states who will contribute towards the protection of European citizens in a range of areas related to health, security, the environment and social wellbeing.

Malta’s six heroes are Deborah Vassallo, an administrator within the Safer Internet Centre; Josianne Azzopardi, Coordinator of the Aġenzija Sedqa S.A.F.E. programme; Claudia Taylor-East, CEO of SOS Malta, Emanuel Psaila; head of the Civil Protection Department; Dr Charmaine Gauci, Superintendent of Public Health; and Saviour Cachia, Commissioner of Information and Data Protection.

The EU Commission said that the chosen heroes represent thousands of other professionals whose jobs ensure the safety of citizens across all member states.

“I don’t consider myself a hero but a true EU active citizen working for the benefit of others. My daily encounters with the most vulnerable motivate me to keep doing what I do,” said Taylor-East.

The featured individuals collaborate with other professionals from other disciplines and countries to form ‘chains of heroes’ that detect and take measures against impending risks such as unsafe toys, cyber bullying, counterfeit currency, radicalisation, air pollution, illegal fishing or unfair trade.