Mr Grech forms part of the Budgets Committee in the European Parliament.

At a meeting last week, it was noted that a European Commission proposal for the allocation of structural funds had been changed by the Council of Ministers, which recommended a reduction of E3 billion.

In cooperation with British Labour MEP Neena Gill, Mr Grech presented a modification to the proposal when it was being discussed in the Budgets Committee. The proposal said that the structural funds budget should be increased to the original sum recommended by the European Commission.

Mr Grech and Ms Gill sustain that structural operations have

a great impact on European

citizens.

The reduction proposed went against the EU’s ambitions to use all the funds available in this important sector.

If the modification proposed by Mr Grech is accepted, this will mean that there will be an extra E3 billion in structural funds, from which Malta could also benefit.