PN Head of Delegation in the European Parliament David Casa and PN MEP Peter Agius today rejected Prime Minister Robert Abela's allegation that their calls for justice and the restoration of the rule of law in Malta are an attempt to derail negotiations on the EU's next long-term budget. Abela made the allegation in Parliament yesterday.
"You are not Malta, Prime Minister. Stop confusing your personal interests with those of the Maltese and Gozitan people we were elected to represent. When it comes to EU funding, my track record speaks for itself. I have always made sure that the people of Malta and Gozo get their fair share, and I am once again at the negotiating table for the next European Social Fund. To accuse us of trying to undermine these negotiations is complete nonsense," Casa said.
Casa negotiated the current European Social Fund Plus, which secured over €200 million in funding for Malta. The fund helps people in Malta and Gozo find employment and supports businesses in training their staff. During negotiations on the Social Climate Fund, he secured ten times the amount originally proposed for Malta to help families and small businesses with energy and transport costs. Casa is currently leading negotiations on the European Social Fund under the EU's next long-term budget.
For his part, MEP Peter Agius tabled amendments to five EU regulations aimed at securing more funding for Malta and Gozo. These include funding for transport projects, including a metro in Malta; a dedicated chapter for Gozo in national and regional programmes; support for Maltese filmmakers through AgoraEU and Creative Europe; and greater opportunities and financial support for Maltese Erasmus participants. He also proposed changes to the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) rules governing maritime transport and aviation, as well as measures to make better use of EU innovation funding. Through events in Malta and his work at European level, he has also pushed for funding to improve Gozo's connectivity, including investment in new ferries.
Agius has also worked to improve Maltese businesses' access to EU research funding. In meetings with the European Commissioner responsible for research, Ekaterina Zaharieva, he called for broader eligibility criteria to allow more Maltese businesses to benefit from these funds.
"The facts clearly contradict the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister should know better. Working in the national interest requires, first and foremost, honesty in what we say. We will continue to work for Maltese families because, after all, people know very well that Malta is not the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister is not Malta," MEP Agius concluded.