Maltese MEP Alex Agius Saliba pushes for EU funds to back Maltese feasts

Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba has called for EU funds to back Maltese feasts, tabling amendments to a new European funding programme that would make intangible heritage, such as festas organised by volunteer organisations, eligible for support.

The proposal forms part of AgoraEU, a programme proposed by the European Commission to support culture, media and civil society in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

"Cultural events like the Maltese feasts are an essential part of the social fabric of our society, and the uniqueness of our intangible heritage deserves to be supported," Agius Saliba said. "Under the current programmes, it is hard for volunteer organisations to get access to EU funding; now is the moment to change this and create new opportunities for those who organise cultural festivals."

AgoraEU would merge previous European frameworks, such as Creative Europe, together with funding programmes that support democratic values, media freedom and cross-border cultural initiatives.

In the coming months, the European Parliament will take its position on the proposal, deciding which activities will be eligible for funding in the 2028-2034 period.

As a member of the civil liberties committee (LIBE) in charge of AgoraEU, Agius Saliba proposed amendments to prioritise cultural festivals as part of the intangible heritage of EU Member States, with a specific focus on the culture of the EU's remote and outermost regions.

The amendments would also require the programme to respect the needs of the volunteer organisations that make these cultural activities possible and to provide them with access to EU funding.

"With the proposed changes, we can make sure that the Maltese culture and the feasts can get support," Agius Saliba added. "We need to celebrate European cultures in all their diversity, especially when we decide on the culture budget of the EU. The outermost and remote regions, like islands and mountainous regions, have a rich culture that Europe needs to cherish."