Perfect timing by George Vella
Published:
February 24, 2009 at 3:09pm
And then when EUR14 million are obtained for a project, they hold Astrid’s hand and shoot the project down before it goes to planning. How can you take them seriously?
The Malta Independent, 24 February
Government failing to obtain EU funds Malta is entitled to – PLGeorge Vella, Labour Party spokesman for foreign affairs, said the government was failing to obtain for Malta funds to which it was entitled from the European Union. Something was wrong, he said, but to date no one had answered for this incompetence.
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“Something was wrong, he said, but to date no one had answered for this incompetence.”
Take me to your leader…
@Corinne,
Well you have to admit they have brass balls (excuse the crudeness)
David Buttigieg: I wouldn’t know. I’m not inclined to visit their nether regions.
Some people ask, why didn’t Labour win? After looking at what George Vella said, I ask: how did Labour get so many votes?
Ara Gorg of the Bungle, mela qomt? Ghax ma tmurx tirrangalna int maghhom, Gorg? Illum int mhux minn ta’ gewwa? Hu lil “Think-about-us” mieghek, tinsiex.
[Daphne – Do I detect an undercurrent here?]
Dr. Vella,
ask Astrid and co….you’ll have EUR14 million less to find.
@Corinne: No, wouldn’t recommend that to the worst of my enemies actually!
And a late detection at that, Daphne, but I’m only returning the shots. Not the type to be good and sit pretty, you see.
Maybe he should take a look at these sites:
http://www.ppcd.gov.mt/file.aspx?f=369
http://www.ppcd.gov.mt/file.aspx?f=544
http://www.ppcd.gov.mt/file.aspx?f=366
http://www.ppcd.gov.mt/file.aspx?f=545
I have calculated that roughly around EUR300 million from within OP1 and OP2 were assigned in 2008 – just over 35% of the EUR850 million to which Malta is entitled – and we are still five years away from the end of the funding period.
@Chris – what about the outgoing funds? Have you calculated that too, or is that irrelevant to your purposes?
@Kev
Taking Joseph Muscat’s estimate (I have no way to verify this), Malta contributed 53M in 2007 -with this figure in mind for 2007, 2008 and 2009 – this comes to 159M still much less than the 300M. If we project this to 2013 – Malta would have contributed 370M but would have obtained 855M directly from the EU structural funds – and this not including 30 Million form the Interreg 4A programme as well as other available funds through Interreg 4B and 4C, 7th Framework, Erasmus, Leonardo, the Norwegian Financial and Swiss financial contributions to the EU states.
Need I go on?
According to Money-go-round.EU, which bases its calculations on the Commission’s data, IN 2007 Malta paid up EUR66 million and received EUR76 million – that’s a positive balance of just EUR10 million. At this rate the net balance is EUR70 million in 7 years. Otherwise, the expenses incurred by membership are enough to offset the benefits of the programmes you mention. If you’re basing Malta’s membership benefits on the buqxiex we get, then you’re in for lots of surprises, Erasmus, Leonardo, Macchiavelli, Stalin and all…
@ Kev
Not sure if you have a serious outlook on the EU or you are just here to shoot it down!
The EU, especially in the structural funds programme – pays through a system of reimbursement. For the 2004-2006 programme, the projects started in January 2005, most had a 6-12 month extension with the majority of the refunds being processed in 2008 and 2009.
For the 2007-2013 – the projects, though assigned and initiated, are at the initial stages with the first letter of offers being signed during the last quarter of 2008. It is envisaged that around 50% of the 300M Euro already assigned shall be utlisied during 2009, with reimbusements happening in 2010. As you can the reimbusements lag by 12-18 months as regards payments to the EU (these shall remain pretty standard throughout). SO as I have said above, when looking at the net results, one has to look at the whole period,i.e. 2007-2013 (if not 2015).
It shall only depend on us whether we shall be able to absorb all these funds. All the indications are showing that the Maltese public, public-equivalent and Non-governmental bodies are taking up the challenges, so much so that every call is oversubscribed!
And you are right we should not base Malta’s membership benefits from a monetary point of view, the fact that we have the ability of mobility, the re-assurance that the undemocratic practices that occurred between 1970 and 1987 shall not happen again, the fact that we have to toe in the line to improve our environment and our standard of living, even though it might hurt, is more important to any monetary benefits.
BUT funds are also part of the deal and instead of twisting known facts, I think that people should work to tap these funds – it is not easy, it involves late night/early morning work, not always appreciated but at the end very satisfying in knowing that you have contributed to your place of work, to you country and to your children’s future.
[Daphne – Just to fill you in, Chris. Kevin was against EU membership for Malta and is married to former No2EU campaigner and current Labour MEP candidate Sharon Ellul Bonici.]
@ Daphne
Sounded like him but was not 100% sure. As the saying goes – You can take the horse to the water, but you can’t make it drink – or even better, a leopard cannot change its spots. Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose.