Bakers are to receive government assistance to tap into European Union funds.

Parliamentary secretary for small business and the self employed Edwin Vassallo visited shops in Qormi yesterday to mark Europe Day.

The government, he said, wanted to ensure that more businesses were helped to improve their operations. He was speaking from a leading confectionery that sells Maltese bread.

Mr Vassallo said that bakers would be able to meet each other and representatives from both the Small Enterprise Directorate and from his parliamentary secretariat, to discuss their obligations regarding new directives.

“We will also be making it easy for them to meet officials from the Health Department and the Malta Environment and Planning Authority in order to discuss issues related to the environment,” said Mr Vassallo. “At the same time, we will be working to ensure that bakers are better organised and in a position to apply for European Union funds.

“The bakers who will be called to participate in this consultation process are not only the ones who produce traditional Maltese bread, but also those who produce all other types of food products,” he said.