Malta reaches 100% disbursement of EU funds by 2018

Malta will not be sending any EU funds back to Brussels, as it has achieved all its disbursement targets of the funds allocated to it in the context of the 2014-2020 programming period.

In a statement, the parliamentary secretariat responsible for EU funds said that around €242 million in EU funds had been spent by December 2018.

These funds were invested in various projects in infrastructure, security, creation of jobs, skills, and to improve the standard of living.

Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds Aaron Farrugia said the fact that “properly managed” its EU funds had played a significant role in the economic success registered by the country in recent years.

According to European Commission’s automatic decommitment principle, if a sum committed to a programme has not been claimed by the Member State by pre-established deadline, any unpaid money ceases to be available to that programme.

Farrugia explained that this achievement will be placing Malta’s negotiating team in a stronger position to attain a fair deal in the next European budget, for which the negotiations are expected to come to a close by autumn of this year.

A total of €242 million were spent on infrastructural projects alone, including on key projects such as the Kappara Junction, the Marsa Junction Super Structures, the Marsa-Hamrun Bypass, significant investments in water Regeneration of Lower Valetta, and the extension of the Xewkija Industrial Park in Gozo.