Update: The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) in a statment today said that the report published by a local newspaper on Tuesday – “Hotel industry projects stalled as 2014 is going down the drain for EU funds – can mislead our operators across the industry and create unnecessary concerns.”

The MHRA said that it “has over the past months actively participated in consultation meetings organised by the Parliamentary Secretariat for EU Funds in particular about Malta’s Partnership agreement with the European Commission.”

The Association added that it “is currently working closely with the Secretariat and it’s respective Departments and had various meetings on how to best facilitate access to centralised and horizontal EU funds for the local tourism industry.”

MHRA President Mr Paul Bugeja stated that, “from information made available to us, there is no cause for alarm as was implied through the said reports that the Hotel industry will lose on EU funds due to any reason known to the association.”

The Association went on to say that it has been “informed by the Malta Business Bureau and the Parliamentary Secretariat for EU Funds that all 28 EU countries currently find themselves in a similar position and following formal submission of the partnership agreement and the eventual launching of Operational Programmes, specific calls will be issued by the end of current calendar year.”

“In the mean time, in order to mitigate and to bridge the gap caused by European Commission time frames which were imposed on all EU countries, MHRA positively notes that a number of financial instruments coming from the previous programming period have been topped up so that funding opportunities have remained open. “

The MHRA concluded by saying that “Mr Bugeja specifically thanked the Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds Dr Ian Borg for being always available to support MHRA’s feedback on how to improve the process to access EU funds and is confident that this collaborative and positive relationship will reap benefits for the industry and the economy as a whole.”

Update: Response by the Ministry for European Affairs and Implementation of the Electoral Manifesto:

This Ministry said that it takes note of the stand taken by MHRA wherby it has expressed its satisfaction in view of the programming process for EU Funds 2014-2020 and how the tourism sector will be an important beneficiary from schemes as early as this current calendar year.

“The programming process for EU funds 2014-2020 is right on track as expected and according to European regulations. It is also worth noting this Government has already engaged in a public consultation process about the partnership agreement and it is currently in the final stages to submit this to the European Commission,” The Ministry said.

“A similiar consultation period about the operational programmes is expected to take place soon. Eventually, it is this government’s aim that schemes that will benefit the industry and the general public will be issued by the end of this current year.”

The Ministry concluded by saying that “this contrasts highly with what happened during the 2007-2013 period wherby operational programmes had been agreed in the last week of June 2007 but schemes aimed at the industry were not issued before the begininning of 2009, more than a year after the programme had been actually approved.”

Photograph – Alain Salvary

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