The EU4U Roadshow, an information exhibition launched with the aim of creating public awareness of the EU Structural Funds, has moved to Marsaxlokk. The Marsaxlokk stop of the exhibition will be focusing specifically on the agriculture and fisheries sectors.
Director of the EU Affairs Directorate within the Rural Affairs and the Environment Ministry Joe De Giorgio said that on accession in 2004, Malta became eligible for structural funds. As far as fisheries and agriculture are concerned, funds amounted to to e9.6m, of which e7m were EU funds and e2.6m was funded by the government. Mr De Giorgio also pointed out that the private sector had contributed e7.4m.
He said that problems faced by the agriculture and fisheries industry include the ageing of their workforce, the partitioning of arable land as a result of inheritance and limited production.
Structural funds are therefore aimed at helping the viability and sustainability of the sectors, protecting the environment and helping fishermen and farmers to modernise their technology in order to become more competitive.
Mr De Giorgio said that the Maltese consumer will benefit from these funds because of the wider choice of fresh and genuine products, that are preserved and presented in a more professional way.
Marco Cassar, project leader in the Fisheries Conservation and Control Division, said that operators in both the fishing and aquaculture sectors have benefited from structural funds and added that no distinction had been made between part-time and full-time fishermen. He said that fishermen had also had the opportunity of applying for individual grants, mainly under the fleet renewal and modernisation scheme.
Senior Agricultural Officer Donald Aquilina said that Lm600,000 had been given to farmers and producers to finance 47 projects in 2005 alone.
The roadshow press conference was also addressed by Rural Affairs Department economic officer Ronald Mizzi, who said that funds are used to improve the processing of agricultural products while helping operators to buy new machines, improve hygiene standards and probe new markets. He said that 10 projects had been approved in 2004, while the figure for 2005 stood at 17. In 2005, projects benefited from Lm700,000 in funds.
In the ensuing discussion, a member of the public criticised the funding process. He said that funds related to fisheries oblige the fishermen to complete projects within a five-year time-frame, but the Fisheries Conservation and Control Division expected a rise in the tonnage landed by the fisherman within the first three years. If the target is not reached, the vessel could be downgraded from MFA classification to MFC: that is, from professional full-time fishing boat to recreational non-commercial vessel.
He also criticised the department for giving weight to the advice of its university trained “experts”, while ignoring that of the fishermen. He concluded his remarks by saying that it is contradictory that while EU funds are pouring in, fewer people are seeking jobs in the industry.
The EU4U Roadshow is organised by the Planning and Priorities Coordination Division within the Office of the Prime Minister, as the managing authority for structural funds.
Further information is available from the website www.eu4u.org.mt