MEP Alfred Sant voted in favour of a motion about the European Union’s general budget for next year with a number of reservations.

He said in an explanation that in the execution of the EU budget and the use of Union funds, a basic principle of what shaped Europe was being forgotten - namely, the principle of a Europe of nations.

This was why his vote was conditioned by the strongest reservations, he said.

“In an absurd comparison to Scandinavian islands, the Commission decided against Gozo being considered an island with such needs,” he noted.

“Gozo, an island smaller than Malta, with its own special features and identity, lags behind due to its dual insularity, Dr Sant said.

He stressed that for Gozo to develop, the island needed regional management.

Dr Sant maintained that contrary to what was being stated in the motion, in the operation of aid funds set under the annual budget, the EU was implementing, a one-size-fits-all approach.

Alfred Sant referred to two examples from Malta's experience, the smallest member state, and an island.

He said that membership of more countries in the EU had the statistical effect of lowering the EU's average GDP per capita and with that Malta lost its right to certain structural funds.

To make-up for this new reality, the Maltese government negotiated and obtained additional financing under the current budgetary perspective.

However, the expectation was that EU state aid rules would prevent SMEs from benefiting from these funds.

Dr Sant said that allowing for common sense to prevail, the same rules would not apply to these funds.