Malta ranked 20th out of 27 European countries and 95th out of 118 European regions in the European Competitive-ness Index 2007 (ECI).
However, Malta performed well in the GDP per capita in the “new” EU-10 category, ranking third.
The index, compiled by Robert Huggins Associates, calculates results on data taken from the EU 25, Norway and Switzerland. It is the first time the “new” EU-10 have been included.
The introduction to the index states that competitiveness is increasingly being measured in terms of creativity, knowledge and environmental conditions, rather than solely on wealth. The index quotes from the European Council: “Europe must renew itself on the basis of its competitiveness, increase its growth potential and its productivity and strengthen social cohesion, placing the main emphasis on knowledge, innovation and the optimisation of human capital.”
The criteria used to measure perform-ance included creativity, economic
performance, infrastructure and
accessibility, knowledge employment and education.
On the regional table, Brussels topped the ECI list with a score of 193.5 on the regional table followed by Uusima, Finland, with 188.3 and Ile de France with 185.2 points.
Malta came in 95th place with 69.6. However, this was not so bad, considering that the only regions in the “new” EU 10 to come in higher were Prague with 165.7 points (seventh), Bratislava with 159.6 points (10th), Kozep in Hungary with 107.4 points (47th), Slovenia with 86.2 points (76th), Centralny in Poland with 80.8 points (81st) and Cyprus with 75.5 points (92nd). Malta outperformed three “old” EU-15 regions, notably South Italy 68.9 points (96th), Sicily with 68.8 points (97th) and the Azores from Portugal with 64.7 points (98th). Malta performed better than 23 regions in Europe.
However, Malta was the third best performer out of the “new” EU-10 on the national ECI table. Finland topped the national index with 166.1 points, followed by Luxemburg with 165.9 points. Non-EU members Switzerland and Norway came in third and fourth, with scores of 135.9 and 135.6 respectively. The list continued with Denmark, Sweden, Holland, UK, Austria, France, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Malta (20th with 69.6 points), Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia (27th with 42.7 points).
Malta fared better in the National Comparison of Mean Gross Monthly Earnings, coming in at 16th out of 27, outperforming such EU-15 members Portugal and Greece. Luxembourg came out on top, with a figure of more than e3,000, with Belgium second at e2,750 and France third with just over e2,500. Malta, at 16th, averaged e1,700. Latvia, placed 27th, performed very poorly with an average of e700. Both Portugal and Greece weighed in with less than e1,500. The index stated that there was a significant level of earnings inequality in Europe, with the ratio between top and bottom being almost 5:1. The clear gap between old and new Europe remains evident, with the bottom seven all being new EU members, mostly former communist states.
Malta also fared quite well in the number of broadband access lines per 1,000 inhabitants among the EU 25, with 110 (11th position). Holland came first with 230 and Greece last with about 10.
Malta also fared well in the GDP per capita of the EU-10, coming in third place, just behind Slovenia. Cyprus tops the list with a GDP of e17,558, Slovenia with e15,941 and Malta third with e15,499. Latvia came in last with e8,249.
The ECI said the most striking fact from data gathered was that all new member states, with the exception of Malta, have been outgrowing average European growth. Malta, however, is still registering growth that has seen an upturn, particularly this year.