Prime Minister Joseph Muscat this evening welcomed the deal struck on the EU's seven-year budget and the fact that Malta did not lose out on any of the funds committed to it.
He was speaking to the press during today's EU summit which focused on youth unemployment and job creation.
Dr Muscat said a Maltese proposal to underline the importance of self-employment in boosting youth employment had been accepted after it was left out of the original draft conclusions. He said it was a good thing that Malta did not qualify for the €7 billion funds committed to the youth initiative, which forms part of the EU-wide youth guarantee to provide school-leavers with jobs, education or training. The €7 billion are reserved for countries with 25 per cent youth unemployment, while Malta has a rate of 14 per cent.
"However, we will use our own funds," said Dr Muscat, stressing the importance of helping young people to set up their own businesses.
Funds will be allocated in Malta's next Budget for the youth guarantee and the Jobs+ initiative which had been agreed by the social partners.
Dr Muscat also spoke about the Country Specific Recommendations approved by EU leaders which for the first time removes mention of the Cost of Living Adjustment but includes the need for urgent reform in the justice sector.
The Prime Minister said he also welcomed the "loose" and "open" wording with regard to pensions, which he said was "acceptable".
On pensions, Dr Muscat said the Government's plan was to boost female participation through free childcare, keep retirement age stable and work on private pensions. The recommendations also highlight the need for improved primary healthcare.
On energy, Dr Muscat said the EU urged Malta to continue with the interconnector but also recognised the importance of the Government's plans to liberalise the energy production sector.
On justice reform, Dr Muscat said this was the first time the European Commission highlighted that court delays could hold back economic growth.He made reference to the study by the Management Efficiency Unit which found that the courts would take eight years to conclude the current cases if no new ones were filed.
"Change will mot please everyone... But if the judiciary argues that everything has to stay as it is, it is not on... The problem will just grow," he said. Dr Muscat said productivity rates of some members of the judiciary were unacceptable and if the ordinary man was being pushed to be more efficient, so should members of the judiciary.
"We need to lead by example," he said.
He stressed that the Government would not interfere on the courts' work but would introduce changes to working practices to make the system better.
As an example, he said it did not make sense for court rooms to remain closed because a judge or magistrate was not there. Asked about the salaries of members of the judiciary, Dr Muscat said changes had to be discussed as part of a package.