The Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) of the European Union has agreed to allocate Malta an additional €10 million within the new Internal Security Fund for Borders and Visas, for the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework of the EU.
The Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds and EU Presidency 2017 , Ian Borg, welcomed the decision. He said this ad hoc allocation was achieved as a result of the Government’s insistence that increased funding was required given Malta’s specific situation. With this additional allocation, Malta will now benefit from over €53 million under this particular fund.
The additional €10 million constitutes a 23% increase over the original allocation proposed by the European Commission.
The agreement also includes a reserve of €128 million, which will be distributed amongst Member States following a mid-term review in 2017. Malta will receive a further allocation from this reserve on the basis of distribution criteria that have also been improved rendering them more favourable for Malta.