The EU targets for Malta include more employment, particularly of females, sustainable pensions and a social level playing field for all, including migrants. Ivan Camilleri spoke to Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner Vladimir Spidla ahead of a meeting in Malta today.

You are visiting Malta for the first time at the end of the Commission's term. Why so late in the day?

I saved the best for last! In fact, it should be seen as positive that I've not been here before: It's because I knew things were working well on the ground in the employment and social affairs sphere. I'm hoping to get a better understanding of the specific challenges facing Malta, so I'm very much looking forward to meeting not only my colleagues from the government but also people from employer organisations, trade unions and civil society.

What are the main challenges facing Malta?

A specific challenge for Malta is to improve its employment rate, which will help boost growth. Malta is also faced with specific migration issues, which are complex and I will want to hear more about those too when I'm visiting.

How do you explain the fact that Malta still has the lowest percentage of female employment? Can this change through the EU or is it just a Mediterranean phenomenon?

I don't believe in just saying "it's a Mediterranean" phenomenon. Other member states - for example, Germany - where traditionally women's employment rates have been low, have seen their levels increase. Member states can learn from the experiences of other countries and see what works.

That said, I'm pleased to say the rate of female employment in Malta has been increasing in recent years, even though slowly. Efforts have already been made through substantial tax regime changes and the 2003 law promoting equal treatment between men and women was also an important milestone. These are important steps and further similar steps need to be pursued to make it easier for women to work and to encourage employers to recruit women.

Do you think that Malta will reach its Lisbon targets in the employment area?

There has been progress and I would encourage all the actors involved to redouble their efforts to reach these targets, in particular in the case of the employment rates of women and older workers. They are not targets for the sake of having targets but promoting employment rates for all groups is what will help achieve more growth and jobs for Malta and across Europe.

In your view, is Malta pursuing the right policies in the employment sector? Where does the Commission want to see more emphasis?

My experts and I are impressed by many of the reforms that have been undertaken in recent years. For example, there have been real efforts to improve the education levels of young people and their skills, in particular in the science and IT sectors. This will make a real difference in the medium to long term and is an essential pre-requisite for future growth. And there have been real efforts to improve employment levels, for example through tackling undeclared work and adopting policies aimed at work-life balance or "making work pay". These are also important for future growth and Malta should continue to focus on these policies.

In various reports the Commission always insists that Malta should conclude its pension reforms. Is the Commission satisfied with the pace of reform in this area? Do you think Malta's pensions in the present format are sustainable?

Important reforms have taken place in the pension sector, in particular the move to raise the retirement age for both women and men to 65. But more still needs to be done to make the pension system sustainable for the long term. Malta, like other member states, is seeing its population get older and this has big consequences for the pensions system. It's why it is so important to reform the pensions system further and improve the employment rates of all groups, in particular older workers.

According to a survey by the Fundamental Rights Agency, Malta has the highest rates of perceived discrimination against migrants and Muslims. Do you think this is a direct result of the burden of illegal immigration?

All member states in the EU must show solidarity with Malta and other member states facing similar challenges. For its size and population, Malta faces a disproportionate amount of illegal migration. Every member state must shoulder its part of responsibility. There is probably a link between perceived discrimination and the levels of illegal immigration but we need to remember that non-discrimination, tolerance and diversity are essential values of the EU. And although there are real issues that must be tackled actively in Malta, those values must still be promoted actively and respected by all.

What will you be doing to help Malta overcome this problem?

Malta is already being helped by the EU through funding programmes to improve the integration of migrants, with the management of external borders and to take care of refugees. And the Commission has actively been pushing for a coordinated European approach to illegal migration underpinned by solidarity between member states and burden sharing. We also need to provide more support to the EU agency Frontex so it can fully play its role.

Should migrants have the same rights and opportunities as Maltese citizens?

It depends who these migrants are. If they have a legal right to be in Malta, then, yes, they should have the same rights and opportunities as all other Maltese citizens. Again, this is the fundamental principle of non-discrimination which applies. However, if the migrants are in Malta illegally, the situation is different and it would not be the case that those people should be entitled to the same rights.