Labour MEP Prof Edward Scicluna together with other European Parliamentarians, recently set up what they called the “Group 174,” a European Parliament intergroup on Islands and Mountainous Regions. The Group holds regular monthly meetings to discuss how structural European Union’s funds and regional policies can be adapted to support islands like Gozo. Prof Scicluna is the only Maltese MEP on Group 174.
Group 174 and its workings were among the topics dealt with during a Conference held in Gozo on Friday, November 12, 2010, at the Grand Hotel, Mgarr. The Conference – EU’s Strategy for Islands – was organised by Prof Scicluna’s Office in collaboration with the S&D Group in the European Parliament.
Prof Scicluna said, “I am delighted to hold this meeting on Gozo, and in Gozo, and how it is affected by EU. It is important that islands like Gozo get special treatment according to their specific needs. For example, we know that Gozo’s GDP per capita is now under 75% that of Malta. In such cases the European Commission should grant special recognition and eligibility to aspects of EU regional policy, other than funding for Gozo. Meanwhile, failure by the Maltese government to provide specific data and reports regarding Gozo, led to Gozo receiving little from the EU Budget for 2006-2013.”
Referring to the failure of the Maltese Government to secure additional funding for Gozo despite having included a Declaration on Gozo’s future in Malta’s accession treaty, Prof Scicluna said, “It is very regrettable that the Government’s famous Declaration 36, aimed at safeguarding the future of Gozo, turned out to be nothing but a unilateral declaration from the Maltese side making the declaration not worth the paper it was written on.”
Prof Scicluna added that, however, in the current EU budget talks there are positive signs that islands like Gozo will benefit from special provisions more flexible use of Structural Funds and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
“Through Group 174 I will continue to battle to ensure that Gozo and the Gozitans get the EU support they deserve. It’s a misfortune that Gozo has been ignored by the Government for too long,” said Prof Scicluna.
Prof Scicluna has been a strong advocate for increased EU funding for Gozo since taking his seat as an MEP in July 2009. The following September Gozo was the subject of Prof Scicluna’s second Parliamentary Question.
The Conference in Gozo was also addressed by PL Deputy Leader for Parliamentary Affairs , Dr Anglu Farrugia.
Dr Farrugia referred to Declaration 36 by Malta on the island region of Gozo way back in 2003. The declaration featured protection and assistance for Gozo in various fields, and now it turns out to be nothing but thin air. The result being that today Gozo is left bare with its burden of “islandness.” He went on to say that a Labour government will strive for Gozo to be given all the attention and assistance deserved.