We know that no one is better positioned than we are to draw attention to the specificities and needs of our island and to push forth our agenda. This can be done locally through the local structures but it is also important to take this beyond our shores by involving other regions that share our characteristics and needs.

This week, the Ministry for Gozo hosted the CPMR Islands Commission. This is the Intra-European group which aims to ensure that the European Union institutions and member states take into account the specific needs and issues faced by island territories because of their insularity. 

Over the past years, as an active member of this group, we continued to work to extend our network, making it an effective means through which we could formulate our concerns and views in a way that are accessible to decision-makers at an EU level.

During this event, I emphasized two key points. The first is the need to continue highlighting the peculiar circumstances of islands. Limited accessibility, higher transport costs, remoteness from markets and lack of economies of scale are only some of the effects of insularity. We often assume, quite wrongly, that these particular characteristics and features are known to all and are high on the agenda of policy makers operating in the centre.

The second point is the requirement to continue updating our priorities, considering that we exist and operate in a dynamic environment subject to constant change. Playing an effective part in a system that has to cater for emerging needs is highly challenging. While keeping our long-term objectives in sight and sticking to our principles, we require a degree of adaptability to adjust our short- and medium-term objectives regularly and respond more quickly to crises

This last point is even more important when one considers the level of instability in our external environment. Recent developments on an international level appear to suggest a retreat in cooperation between countries. I have no doubt that there will be implications for small island regions as well. Thus, as policy makers we need to have a vision. A vision of what we would like to achieve. We need to think globally while acting locally. To act locally, we need to have the appropriate tools. One of these is to have proper statistics that measure our current state of affairs and to have benchmarks and targets.

This conference took place at a time when Malta holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Such an occasion provides strong evidence that size neither dictates nor is always a barrier to our potential. It shows that being small can also mean being highly adaptable, which, as mentioned earlier, is key when facing change. Adaptability is also an essential quality for entrepreneurship and development.

During the last four years, we have put our faith in Gozo's resilience, its hardworking workforce, and its ability to re-invent itself. We are seeing positive results following policy decisions that maximize these characteristics. Obviously, the need to continue working and diversifying in order to be able to grow sustainably while avoiding the risks associated with overdependence on a small number of sectors still remain. Thus, it is essential to be open to new sectors and do our best to attract them to Gozo.

Dr Refalo is the Minister for Gozo