Consultation on Malta's draft national reform programme

Malta’s targets towards the EU’s 2020 strategy were highlighted this morning during the launch of a public consultation process.

The aim of the strategy is to generate more work in the EU, improve conditions for research and development, take initiatives to tackle climate change, boost education and increase social inclusion.

Each country had to come up with its own strategy to collectively reach EU targets.

While the EU’s target for employment is to have 75 per cent of the 20-64-year-old workforce employed, Malta’s target is to increase this percentage from 59 to 63. Malta, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said, will be working on incentivising women to return and enter the workforce.

In research and development, the EU target is to increase this to three per cent of the gross domestic product. Malta’s is to move from 0.55 per cent to 0.67 per cent.

The EU target in education is to reduce school drop-outs to less than 10 per cent. Malta’s is to reduce the number of drop-outs from 36 to 29 per cent. Another EU target is to ensure that 40 per cent of people younger than 34 years qualify in tertiary education, Malta’s is to go from 21 to 33 per cent.

When it comes to energy, the EU wants to allow for a maximum increase of greenhouse emissions to not more 20 per cent, Malta wants to increase by not more than five per cent. While the EU wants to increase its renewable energy by 20 per cent, Malta will be increasing this by 10 per cent.

The EU wants to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty by 20 million while Malta’s aims to lift 6,560 people out of risk of poverty and exclusion.

Mr Fenech said that Malta was already working on reaching its targets through a number of measures it has been taking, such as incentives to encourage women to enter the workforce.

The consultation process ends on March 1.

Suggestions and comments should be sent to pdd.mfei@gov.mt .