Fondazzjoni Temi Zammit (FTZ) is the Maltese partner of the European RIMED (Responsible Industries of the Mediterranean) project that forms part of the MED programme (2007-2013) and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.
The main objective of the project is to introduce the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to Mediterranean enterprises, hence making the Mediterranean a more competitive area based on knowledge, innovation, and sustainable and social development.
Corporate Social Responsibility is a relatively new concept that started to create interest and have a bearing on public opinion in Malta since the last decade.
Being socially responsible is not only related to the fulfilment of legal obligations, but also involves going beyond compliance to invest more into human capital, the environment and in maintaining the best relationships with all stakeholders.
During the last few years, Maltese companies started to realise that their reputation was strongly related to their economic performance, growth and development. It is also important to highlight that one of the government” long-term objectives for Malta is to become a regional business and international trade centre in the Mediterranean. The attainment of such goals implies a new economic approach to doing business, along with the introduction of a strong CSR policy. This is considered a good strategy to develop the local market and beyond.
The project will result in the creation of guidelines for “political” responsibility that concerns the future of the industry. These are supplemented with an innovative website that offers institutional support for the industry stakeholders (www.rimed.eu).
The Provincia di Roma is leading the different phases of the RIMED project. Apart from Malta, the other partners involved in the project come from Spain, Cyprus, and Greece. The result of this geographical coverage is a well-balanced partnership that has the competences to work together to achieve the objectives and the expected results as required by the MED programme.
The first phase of the project has been successfully completed. FTZ has been conducting a thorough research in order to understand which companies are following the principles of corporate social responsible policy and how.
After an exchange of these experiences with the other partners, FTZ will involve the participating Maltese enterprises, customers and stakeholders in this project, engaging them in this ambitious process of awareness and improvement.
Specifically for this purpose, FTZ is organising an introductory event to be held on Wednesday 30 March at 9am at Europe House, St Paul Street, Valletta. Institutions and companies are cordially invited to participate in this seminar in order to exchange knowledge and ideas related to Corporate Social Responsibility.
This event is an open event and participation is free.
For more information, or to register attendance please contact FTZ on the following e-mail address: [email protected]