Malta signs partnership agreement on EU funds

Parliamentary secretary for EU funds Ian Borg and the Director General for Regional Policy at the European Commission, Charlina Vitcheva this morning signed the partnership agreement for the period covering 2014-2020.

Addressing the EU Funds Monitoring Committee, Borg said that the funds allocated to Malta, which amount to over €1 billion, will be mainly used to “foster economic competitiveness, sustain an environmentally friendly economy, and invest in human capital.”

He added that government was looking at investing heavily in human resources, especially in training programmes that would ensure inclusiveness and economic diversity.

“Moreover, we’ll be using the funds to reach a number of targets set by the European Commission, such as in renewable energy, waste management, pollution levels and road management,” Borg said, pointing to the Kappara Junction project as an “ideal example aimed at the decarbonisation of the transport sector”.  

Other areas which will take priority include ICT research and development.

The drafting of this document follows an extensive consultation process that began under the previous Nationalist administration in 2012.

On her part, Vitcheva praised Malta’s proficient use of EU funds since joining the bloc and highlighted a number of challenges facing the country, especially in achieving renewable energy, poverty and crime targets.

She also called for a more strategic and professional approach to the distribution of EU funds and for a greater degree of "synthesis" in the deployment of funds at local, national and European levels. She also praised Malta for taking the EU's initiatives regarding small and medium enterprises (SMEs) "very seriously" and said that these initiatives will encourage further investment in Malta.