The European Commission has partially lifted the suspension of two EU Programmes with immediate effect, European Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou said in a letter to Education Minister Dolores Cristina.
Shortcomings and deficiencies, however, still persist at the European Union Programmes Agency (EUPA) and in the national authority – the Education, Employment and Family Ministry – it explained.
The letter was sent on Thursday and by the time of going to print, the government had not commented about it.
Following a visit to Malta between 1 and 3 February, by commission auditors and other officials, the Commission concluded the Maltese authorities had only partially implemented remedial actions aimed at overcoming management and accounting problems with the two programmes.
The Youth in Action and Lifelong Learning Programmes have been suspended since last May.
A spokesperson for the Commission explained detailed findings and recommendations were being addressed to the ministry.
However, the decision to partially lift the programmes’ suspension was taken out of concern that the public and institutions were being deprived of access to the EU’s education and youth programmes.
The agency can invite applications and get everything prepared, but it cannot award grants until remedial actions are implemented.
The partial suspension lift was therefore subject to certain conditions.
As of now the EUPA can prepare, launch and advertise a call for proposals for mobility under the 2011 Lifelong Learning Programme, notably applications for Erasmus grants for higher education students to study abroad, and the second selection round for Youth in Action projects.
Yet the Commission will not make upfront payments and until the Commission has full assurance that outstanding audit issues have been resolved, the usual advance payments of €2.3 million will not be paid.
The national agency meanwhile cannot award grants or conclude grant agreements with candidates who qualify for selection following the spring 2011 calls for project proposals.
The government and EUPA must provide the 2010 Declaration of Assurance by 30 April.
Should this be accepted by the Commission, the programmes’ suspension could be fully lifted in the second half of the year. This would allow EUPA to make grant award decisions and conclude grant agreements with successful applicants.
Should the 2010 Declaration of Assurance not provide fully satisfactory evidence of progress in the areas where serious weaknesses still persist, the Commission will revert to the complete suspension of the programmes meaning that funds for successful applications will not be granted.