The Nationalist Party said this evening that notice of a motion presented earlier today by Opposition leader Joseph Muscat on EU funding for the extension of St John's Cathedral Museum, showed that the PL did not know how the EU worked.

The PN said Dr Muscat’s motion had three points. It claimed that there was lack of clarity in the government’s priorities for the use of EU funding; that it was Parliament which should decide how EU funds were used (instead of a public call) and that the government should hold a consultation on the use of EU funds.

The PN said the government published its EU funding priorities two years ago in the National Strategic Reference Framework, published in December 2006. That was followed by two operational programmes published in June 2007.

It appeared, the PN said, that Dr Muscat did not know that the EU did not allocate funds without knowing the priorities for their use.

As for the selection of projects to benefit from EU funding, this was governed by a number of EU laws, including a requirement for a public call for projects and a transparent selection process based on criteria previously agreed with the EU. Approval was made by the Project Selection Committee and it was open for audit by the European Commission, the Court of Auditors and the Auditor-General in Malta.

Therefore, Dr Muscat could not assume for himself the right to decide which project qualified for EU funds. Did the opposition feel that the government should interfere when some company, school, factory or other organisation accessed EU funds?

Therefore, contrary to what Dr Muscat had said in his motion, the Planning and Priorities Co-Ordination Division in the Office of the Prime Minister had not been in a position to approve funding for projects such as the museum.

The PN said it was incredible that Dr Muscat was calling for a public consultation on the allocation on EU funds when a 21-month consultation was actually held between the autumn of 2005 and June 2007.

The consultation had been wide-ranging and it was only the Labour Party which did not take part,

The PN asked where Dr Muscat had been when the consultation was in progress.

It urged the PL to move away from its past and to work so that Malta could continue to attract funds and that it could continue to improve its tourist product.

See also:

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090124/local/opposition-motion-urges-government-to-stop-underground-extension-of-st-johns-museum

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