Editing Joseph Muscat (section)

=== Member of the European Parliament (2004–2008) ===
Despite having previously expressed opposition to Malta's entry into the European Union,<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/10/world/malta-voters-narrowly-approve-joining-european-union.html Malta Voters Narrowly Approve Joining European Union] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126003249/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/10/world/malta-voters-narrowly-approve-joining-european-union.html |date=26 November 2016}}, ''[[New York Times]]'', 10 March 2003</ref> Muscat was elected to the [[European Parliament]] in the [[2004 European Parliament election in Malta|2004 European Parliament election]]. He was the Labour Party (formerly the [[Malta Labour Party]]) candidate who received the most [[single transferable vote|first-preference votes]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://electoral.gov.mt/Elections/MEPs?year=2004&v=null|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170612180725/https://electoral.gov.mt/Elections/MEPs?year=2004&v=null|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 June 2017|title=Electoral Commission of Malta|website=Electoral Commission of Malta|access-date=11 June 2017}}</ref> Sitting as a [[Member of the European Parliament]], with the [[Party of European Socialists]], he held the post of Vice-President of the Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and substitute member of the committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection.<ref name=":4" /> He was a member of a number of delegations for relations with [[Belarus]] and with the countries of south-east Europe.<ref name=":4" /> He was also a member of the EU-[[Armenia]], EU-[[Azerbaijan]] and EU-[[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] Parliamentary Cooperation Committees.<ref name=":4" /> As an MEP he supported a reduction in the tax for satellite television,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20040606/local/joseph-muscat-asks-european-commission-to-look-into-satellite-licence.121107|title=Joseph Muscat asks European Commission to look into satellite licence issue|date=6 June 2004|work=Times of Malta|access-date=11 June 2017|archive-date=12 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170612180725/https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20040606/local/joseph-muscat-asks-european-commission-to-look-into-satellite-licence.121107|url-status=live}}</ref> the right for customers to watch sport events for free,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20060508/opinion/the-case-for-free-football.54800 |title=The case for free football |last=Muscat |first=Joseph |date=8 May 2006 |work=Times of Malta |access-date=11 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926161534/http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20060508/opinion/the-case-for-free-football.54800 |archive-date=26 September 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> and a number of issues related to [[environmental protection]] in Malta.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20040830/opinion/an-innovative-approach-to-environment-protection.113737 |title=An innovative approach to environment protection |last=Muscat |first=Joseph |date=30 August 2004 |work=Times of Malta |access-date=11 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416222555/http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20040830/opinion/an-innovative-approach-to-environment-protection.113737 |archive-date=16 April 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> He formed part of a team responsible for a report on the roaming mobile phone bills and sale of banks.<ref name=":4" />

In 2006, he was the recipient of the Outstanding Young Person of the Year.<ref name=":13" /> Muscat resigned his seat in the [[European Parliament]] in 2008 to take up a seat in the [[House of Representatives of Malta|Maltese Parliament]], and the role of [[Leader of the Opposition (Malta)|Leader of the Opposition.]]<ref name=":5" /> Four months previously, he had been elected [[List of Malta Labour Party leaders|Leader]] of the [[Labour Party (Malta)|Labour Party]]. Before his resignation, the European Parliament adopted his report proposing new regulations for the EU's financial services sector.<ref name=":4" />