Updated: Government defends record on EU funds - PL reacts

The government in a statement this evening denied opposition claims that it was not making full use of the EU funds allocated to Malta, pointing out that funds allocated for particular projects were only transferred to Malta once the projects were completed.

The government said that in terms of the current EU budget as well as from other funds which private companies and NGOs could access, Malta stood to receive more than €1 billion.

Malta was the first country to conclude the technical talks required for the allocation of EU funds for particular programmes and projects.

Most of the funds were earmarked for major infrastructural programmes which took some time to complete, including the building of arterial roads, the expansion of Kordin Incubation Centre, improvements to industrial estates, the building of facilities for the new ICT Faculty at the University, extensions of MCAST, the Junior College and the ETC’s Skills and Development Centre, development and embellishment of the coastal zones of Sliema and Qawra and restoration of fortifications.

The EU had confirmed that it would meet 85% of the investment costs for all such projects.

Funds would be received within two years of the conclusion of the projects.

The Labour Party in a reaction said the government had not contradicted any of the figures given by the Opposition.

The facts were that, according to the government's own projections, Malta was meant to receive €163 million from the EU in 2007 but only received €47 million, while Malta contributed €53 million to the EU.

For last year, the government had projected revenue of €114 from the EU but according to media reports, it only received €50 million. At the same time Malta contributed €56.6 million to EU coffers.

The government had not denied these figures. Indeed, its silence had confirmed them, the PL said.