The European Commission has informed Maltese MEP Alfred Sant and Croatian MEP Tonino Picula that it will fork out €10 million to enforce the project ‘Strengthening cooperation on climate action among EU islands’ after it had already approved €2 million for the same project. Sant, former Prime Minister and Picula, former Foreign Affairs Ministers of Croatia have been working for the past months on the implementation of a project for clean energy for EU island states.

Picula represents various Croatian islands while Dr Sant has been actively asking the European Commission to provide funds for clean energy in EU islands, including Malta and Gozo.

The European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy Christopher Jones, responsible for External policy and development of financial instruments told Dr Sant and Mr Picula that  the Commission had agreed with their proposals.

“Our principle aim here is Growth. We want to have liveable islands.” Mr Jones told the Maltese and Croatian MEPs.

Jones said that the Commission will start with identifying 20 islands as case-studies. The Secretariat’s scope will be to work with the different individual islands while creating a network. It will also aim to be somewhere between knowledge sharing and assistance.

Picula said that he is in favour of accessible energy for small islands.

“We want to secure life on islands. We therefore aim at tackling limitations, especially for small islands. We want to have accessible energy.” said the Croatian MEP.

Sant described the Commission’s feedback to their proposal as ‘positive’. “The Commission must support our concerns to make up for the effects of insularity which citizens experience in EU islands,” remarked the Maltese MEP.

PHOTO CAPTION : MEP Alfred Sant (right), Christopher Jones (left) and Croatian MEP Tonino Picula at the European Parliament.