Most islands face a number of permanent characteristics that can influence their socio-economic development. Island regions, like Malta, are characterised by natural handicaps, which lead to problems of accessibility to the rest of mainland Europe.
The islands’ insularity and peripheral factors reflect the vulnerability of Malta and especially Gozo, which requires particular attention. Gozo is highly dependent on Malta’s economy. Moreover, the Maltese Islands are affected by the issue of population density. Malta is the smallest country in the EU but the most densely populated of the region. This puts more pressure on the environment, the islands’ infrastructure and other socio-economic factors.
To overcome these challenges, Malta has been granted Objective 1 status by the EU, when it comes to the EU’s Regional Policy. This policy aims at levelling out the economic and social disparities between the member states. Thus, the islands’ geographical and economic realities have yielded in higher demand for upgrades in the transport network (both inland and externally) to address the accessibility issues and better infrastructures for waste management and public utilities.
As it is, Gozo, Malta’s sister island, faces problems of double insularity, for movement of people, import, export, and other economic activities which are vital for the island’s quality of life and economic performance. Gozo’s situation is more accentuated than Malta, due to its ‘double insularity’.
The National Strategic Reform Framework 2007-2013 refers to statistics showing that Gozo’s GDP per capita has declined from 73.2% of that of Malta in 1999 to 69.3% in 2003. Gozo’s GDP performance is underpinned by constraints on economic production and the ability to reap economies of scale, the lack of diversification of products, high transport costs, low attractiveness for investment opportunities, a large public-sector activity and a lack of absorption of technological capacities.
In Article 174 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, the EU recognises that island regions, including Gozo, suffer from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps. In fact, during the 2007-2013 EU financial period, 10% of the Maltese Islands’ allocation of the Structural Funds was entirely dedicated for Gozo’s specific needs.
The National Strategic Reform Programme 2007-2013 identifies four objectives, one of which addresses Gozo’s regional distinctiveness. It focuses on promoting enterprise and the development of key economic sectors in Gozo, addressing the key accessibility issues pertaining to transport infrastructure, as well as protecting the environment and developing human capital and skills.
Between 2007 and 2013, various projects have been earmarked specifically for Gozo. The tourism sector is being enhanced as a result of various rehabilitation, restoration and upgrading projects, namely the fortifications of the Citadel in the capital Victoria, the Ġgantija Temples, Wied il-Mielaħ, Villa Rundle Gardens, Ta’ Pinu National Shrine and the development of the first Eco-Museum in Victoria.
Other funds have been invested in the road infrastructure to facilitate accessibility from one village to another and from one island to the other. These include arterial roads such as Xlendi Road, Ta’ Pinu Road and the main road network from the Mġarr Sea Terminal to Victoria. EU funds are also being used to improve environmental monitoring and rehabilitation of landfills, along with the installation of environmentally-friendly equipment using natural resources to generate energy for domestic and commercial use.
The Gozo General Hospital is also benefiting from EU funds where various units as well as equipment are being upgraded. Other sectors such as industry and educational institutions are involved in projects of a larger scale that will entail the upgrading and embellishment of facilities and locations in Malta and Gozo alike. Gozitans are also benefiting from numerous training courses and services aimed at enhancing their skills for greater employability and adaptability to labour market opportunities. Various grant schemes aimed at SMEs have led to a good take-up from Gozitan enterprises and other entities.
Since its reactivation in 2008, Meusac has been providing technical assistance to local councils, NGOs and SMEs in Gozo to tap EU funds from an array of funding programmes. Examples of successful project applications are the Lwien project implemented by Dar Ġużeppa Debono and various projects by local councils and NGOs under EU programmes such as Youth in Action, the European Agricultural Fund for Regional Development and the Europe for Citizens programmes.
To mark the eighth anniversary of Malta’s accession to the EU, Meusac is organising a national conference that will aim at highlighting the challenges and benefits for Gozo. The national conference entitled ‘Gozo: An Island-Region in the European Union’ is being held on Tuesday from 8.45am till 1 pm, at the Grand Hotel, L-Imġarr Gozo. For more information contact Meusac on 2200-3300 or [email protected]
Norma Saliba is
Media Coordinator at Meusac