Coach tours highlighting the benefits of Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 were organised over the weekend by the Planning and Priorities Coordination Division within the Office of the Prime Minister. The Tours entitled Rotta: EU07-13 gave the public a first hand opportunity to find out more how EU funds are being invested in Malta and Gozo, whilst granting privileged access to areas not usually open for public viewing such as the Sewage Treatment Plant in Ta' Barkat and the newly equipped Radiology Unit at the Gozo General Hospital.
n Malta, the Tours included visits to the Old Armoury Palace in Birgu where restored wooden furniture was exhibited; the Malta Aviation Museum in Ta' Qali, the Sonia Tanti Independent Living Centre in Ħal Far, the Sewage Treatment Plant, the fortifications in Mdina, the University of Malta, MCAST, ETC and Malta Enterprise amongst others.
In Gozo, the Tours visited the Ggantija Temples, the MCAST institute in Xewkija, the restorations at San Lawrenz Parish Church, the House of Carmela Grima at Ta' Pinu, Villa Rundle Gardens, the Radiology Unit at the Hospital and the Eco-Museum in Rabat.
Visitors on the Tours were given detailed presentations about the projects and in some instances also treated to a small surprise such as having the opportunity to listen to a beautifully restored organ in the Parish Church of San Lawrenz or a wartime tractor ride around the grounds of the Malta Aviation Museum.
All these projects are beneficiaries of Operational Programmes I and II, financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Cohesion Fund and the European Social Fund (ESF) - Cohesion Policy 2007-2013.
The coach tours took place on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th November in the morning and afternoon on both days respectively. The tours were welcomed by positive feedback by those who participated and the Planning and Priorities Coordination Division would like to thank all the participating beneficiaries who helped contribute to the event's success.
Call for Project Proposals under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
A new call for project proposals to be part-financed by the European Union under the European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) 2007-2013 was recently open. Eligible applicants wereinvited to submit project proposals relating to the focus area falling under Priority Axis 4: ‘Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change' of Operational Programme I ‘Investing in Competitiveness for a Better Quality of Life'.
Energy - The call is restricted to interventions undertaken by Voluntary Organisations [or any entity which may be exempted as per Article 4 of the Voluntary Organisations Act (Chapter 492)] with the aim of increasing energy efficiency and installing renewable energy sources in Malta & Gozo. The indicative financial threshold for this call is €5 million.
The call closed on Friday 2nd December 2011 at noon.
Two Information Sessions for prospective applicants were held on the 13th and 14th October 2011 in Malta and Gozo. The FAQs may be downloaded from here.
The ESPON Coordination Unit was seeking two trainees for a period of 5 months to join its international team in February 2012.
The ESPON CU offers a five-month period of training for young academics in the final stage of their university studies related to territorial development and planning, geography, regional economics, European studies, political science and/or other related fields.
The work in the CU is organised in three clusters each dealing with a key area of the implementation of the ESPON 2013 Programme:
1) Programme, Finance and Budget;
2) Project Development and Coordination, and;
3) Capitalisation, Publication and Analysis.
During the traineeship period one of the trainees will be involved mainly in tasks related to the cluster on Capitalisation, Publication and Analysis. The other trainee will be mainly involved in tasks of the cluster related to Programme, Finance and Budget. The trainee jobs will accordingly include a variety of tasks related to the ESPON 2013 Programme.
The closing date for applications was Sunday 20th November 2011.
Third Call for non-major Projects under the Cohesion Fund 2007-2013 (restricted)
A new call for project proposals to be part-financed by the European Union under the Cohesion Fund 2007-2013 was recently open. This call is being issued under Operational Programme I and is restricted to Priority Axis 3: 'Developing the TEN-T' (maritime sector projects only) and Priority Axis 5: 'Safeguarding the Environment.'The call closed on Friday 28th October 2011.
Results in connection with the first phase of the call for strategic project proposals under Italia-Malta CBC Programme 2007-2013
The results in connection with the first phase of the call for strategic projects under the programme in caption may be assessed here. The Lead Partners will be provided with further information on the respective projects and on the second phase of the above mentioned call shortly.
INTERREG IVC's "Good Practice Fair 2011" Regions of Europe Sharing Solutions
This event will welcome policy-makers and practitioners from all over Europe for an intensive one-day event focused on sharing experiences and encouraging uptake of good practices identified or transferred with cooperation projects and will be held on the 24th November 2011 in Krakow, Poland. More information may be found here.
Malta receives €4.5 million under the EEA and Norwegian Grants
Malta has been allocated a total of €4.5 million by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway by means of two separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) signed today between the Donor States and Malta on the Implementation of the EEA Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism for the 2009-2014 period. €2.9 million have been allocated under the European Economic Area (EEA) Financial Mechanism with the remaining €1.6 million under the Norwegian Financial Mechanism.
In addition to identifying the priority and programme areas to be targeted in Malta through the EEA and Norwegian Financial Mechanisms 2009-14, the MoUs also establish a framework for cooperation in order to ensure the effective implementation of the two Financial Mechanisms. Dr John Paul Grech, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed the MoUs on behalf of Maltese Government whilst Ambassador Ms Ingrid Schulerud, MoU Co-ordinator signed on behalf of the Donor States. Mr Tord Tukun, Minister Counsellor at the Royal Norwegian Embassy to Malta and Italy in Rome and Ms Stine Anderson, Director of the Financial Mechanism Office in Brussels, formed part of the delegation from the Donor States.
The Priority and Programme areas being targeted in Malta through the EEA Financial Mechanism 2009-14 are:
Priority Area | Programme Area |
Climate Change and Renewable Energy | Renewable Energy |
Adaptation to Climate Change |
Civil Society | Fund for Non-governmental Organisations |
Protecting Cultural Heritage | Conservation and Revitalisation of Cultural and Natural Heritage |
Under the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2009-14, Malta is set to benefit under the following Priority and Programme areas:
Priority Area | Programme Area |
Decent Work and Tripartite Dialogue | Global fund for Decent Work and Tripartite Dialogue |
Human and Social Development | Capacity-building and Institutional Cooperation between Beneficiary State and Norwegian Public Institutions, Local and Regional Authorities |
Justice and Home Affairs | Correctional Services, including Non-custodial Sanctions |
The Funds and Programmes Division within the Office of the Prime Minister is the designated National Focal Point (NFP) for these two Financial Mechanisms in Malta. Further details will be published on the following link in the coming days. DOI Press Release [28/09/2011]
MED Programme 2011 Annual Event
The MED Programme invites all stakeholders to participate in the Programme Annual Event that will be held on Wednesday19th October 2011 in Barcelona. All information pertaining to this event, including the agenda and access to the online registration form, can be found on the website of the MED Programme. Participation is limited to 300 persons and registrations are open until Friday 14th October 2011.
Clarification notice with regard to Departmental Call for Tenders for the Supply of Promotional Items, Cohesion Policy Funds 2007-2013 (OPM/PPCD/002/2011) - updated
Further information and clarification about the period of delivery and other clarifications can be found here
ENPI CBC MED Programme - Projects Idea Database
The Managing Authority of the ENPI CBC MED Programme has uploaded a Projects Idea Database on the website of the Programme. This tool can be used by interested parties to disseminate a project idea and/or join proposals drafted by another entity. The Database may be accessed through the following link.
Announcement of Next Calls for Proposals under the ESPON 2013 Programme
A call for Proposals for Applied Research Projects, Targeted Analyses, Scientific Platform/Tools Projects and Transnational Networking Activities under the European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion (ESPON 2013 Programme) was recently openScientists, experts, representatives of universities, research institutes, and companies from the 31 participating European countries were invited to become involved in these new ESPON projects. The deadline for submitting proposals was Thursday 20th October 2011.
More information is available through the ESPON web-link.
The pre-announcement of the Calls is published in the Official Journal of the European Union (reference: OJ, C 190 of 30/06/2011).
All the documentation related to the calls, including the project specifications, the procedure for applying, the eligibility rules, the evaluation criteria and the submission material, will be made available by 24 August 2011 at the ESPON Website.
Potential beneficiaries of this call are public and private bodies.
In conjunction with the Calls, the ESPON 2013 Programmeorganisied an Information Day and Partner Café on 13th September 2011 in Brussels. The event is open for all potential beneficiaries interested in learning more about opportunities for taking part in ESPON project activities.
Should you require any further information about the Call for Proposals, please do not hesitate to contact the Planning and Priorities Coordination Department on the Online Helpdesk,
Open Call - Call for Strategic Projects on Priority Axis 3 of the MED Programme Operational Programme: Improvement of Mobility and of Territorial Accessibility
The Second Call for Strategic Projects of the MED programme, which focuses on the improvement of mobility and territorial accessibility, was launched on Friday 1st April 2011.
This call specifically focuses on:
- The Promotion of Information and Communication Technologies for aBetter Accessibility of Rural and Remote areas; and
- Strengthening Mediterranean Ports Activities and EU Accessibility with Simpler Norms and a Better Use of Information Technologies.
The following is the timetable of the call:
Timeframe | Task |
01.04.2011 | Opening of the call |
07.04.2011 | Launching seminar to prepare draft project |
31.05.2011 | Deadline of submission draft project |
Week 26 or 27 | Applicants' seminar to prepare full application |
01.06.2011 | Opening final application (on PRESAGE CTE) |
30.09.2011 | Deadline to submit the final application (on PRESAGE CTE) |
More information about this call can be found here.
Re-opening of the call on objective 2.3 of the MED Programme Operational Programme: Maritime Safety
The call for strategic projects on objective 2.3 of the MED Programme Operational Programme has been re-launched on the 1st April 2011. This call focuses on ‘Maritime Risks Prevention and Maritime Safety.' All projects proposals have to be registered with the Joint Technical Secretariat of the Programme between the 01 April and the 15 April 2011. The Registration Form and all other documentation pertaining to this call can be found here.
Call for Strategic Projects under Priority Axis 3 of the MED Programme Operational Programme: Improvement of Mobility and of Territorial Accessibility
A call for strategic projects, which will focus on Priority Axis 3 of the MED Operational Programme (i.e. Improvement of mobility and of territorial accessibility), was launched on Friday 1st April 2011. A total of €25 million has been allocated to this call. More information about this call can be found here.
MED Second Call for Strategic Projects - Launch Seminar
A seminar in connection with this call was held on the 7th April 2011 in Marseille, France. This seminar will give participants technical information about the call and provide interested parties with the opportunity to get advice about project contents. More information about this seminar together with the agenda and registration form of the event can be found here. The Second Call for Strategic Projects of the MED programme will be opened between the 1st April and the 30th September 2011.
Announcement of the First Call for Strategic Projects under the Italy-Malta 2007-2013 CBC Programme
The Call focused on the following thematic areas:
Accessibility and Eco-Sustainable Transport;
Promoting joint actions in the sphere of the prevention of risks resulting from both natural and man-made causes;
Risk prevention methods related specifically to coastal territories and to the sea;
Renewable energy;
Waste disposal
The total budget allocated to the call was €12.5 million. The budget of a strategic project proposal should be between €1,500,000 and €2,500,000. The deadline for the submission of the concept notes was Friday 9th September 2011.
The Application Pack and further information about the Call may be accessed from the official web site of the Italy-Malta 2007-2013 Programme on the following link
An Information Session was held on Tuesday 12th July 2011. Another Information Session for prospective applicants was held 22nd July 2011 in Siracusa, Sicily.
For any queries pertaining to this call kindly contact the Territorial Cooperation Unit on 2200 1147 or 2200 1151.
Twelfth Call for Project Proposals under the European Regional Development Fund
A call for project proposals to be part-financed by the European Union under the European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) 2007-2013 was launched recently. Eligible applicants were invited to submit project proposals relating to the focus area falling under Priority Axis 4: ‘Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change' of Operational Programme I ‘Investing in Competitiveness for a Better Quality of Life'.
The focus area open under this call was: Energy and this call was restricted to interventions undertaken by Public Entities with the aim of increasing energy efficiency and installing renewable energy sources in public infrastructure in Gozo. The indicative financial threshold for this call was €10 million.
The call closed on Friday 2nd September 2011 at noon.
An Information Session for prospective applicants was held in Gozo on Friday 8th July 2011.
Vacancy Programme Capitalisation Officer - INTERREG IVC
The INTERREG IVC Programme had a vacancy for a Programme Capitalisation Officer, in order to ensure the timely and coordinated implementation of the thematic programme capitalisation. Relevant details and documents for application can be found below. Applications closed on Friday 23rd September 2011.
Interviews will be held on Tuesday 18 October 2011 in Lille (France).
Vacancy - Coordinator of MED Programme Joint Technical Secretariat (JTS)
The MED Programme had a vacancy for a coordinator for the JTS of the programme to be in charge of the overall coordination of the JTS, transnational body located in the Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. The main task of the JTS, in collaboration with the Managing Authority, is the implementation at transnational level of the activities of coordination, animation and promotion of the MED programme.
The closing date for applications was Friday 22nd July 2011. All documentation pertaining to this vacancy, including the Job Profile, may be found here.
ENPI CBC MED Programme - Call for Expression of Interest: Assessors in Charge of Project Evaluation
The ENPI CBC MED Programme recentlylaunched a call for expression of interest for the set up of a roster of technical experts (assessors) in charge of the evaluation of project proposals submitted under the ENPI CBC MED first call for strategic projects. The selected assessors will assist the Projects Selection Committee in the technical and financial quality evaluation of the project proposals submitted, in accordance with the selection and award criteria approved by the Joint Monitoring Committee.
Applicants can only apply to evaluate proposals submitted under one of the following thematic areas:
The deadline for sending applications was Tuesday 5th July 2011. The documentation pertaining to this call may be downloaded from the ENPI CBC MED homepage.
Announcement of the ENPI CBC MED First Call for Strategic Projects
The first call for strategic projects under the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme was recently open and focused on the following thematic areas:
The total budget allocated to the call was €62.4 million. The call closed on Thursday 14th July 2011.
The Application Pack and further information about the call were available on the official web site of the ENPI CBC MED Programme
Information Session
The Territorial Cooperation Unit organized an information session on Friday 3rd June 2011 at Dar L-Ewropa, Valletta at 09.00 a.m. PPCD staff gave an overview of the Territorial Cooperation Programmes together with detailed information about the ENPI CBC MED call for strategic projects. The presentations may be downloaded from here: Overview of ETC Programmes and ENPI first call for projects. A number of Maltese partners, currently participating in ongoing projects, also delivered short presentations about projects which fall within the remit of the thematic areas addressed under this call and which are currently being implemented under Territorial Cooperation Programmes.
For any general queries relating to this call kindly contact the Territorial Cooperation Unit on 2200 1866 or 2200 1864.
Tender Notice: Provision of Technical Expertise for the Strategic Environmental Asessment (SEA)
A call for tenders Advt. No. OPM/PPCD/001/2011. Provision of technical expertise for SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment) Screening of proposed changes to Operational Programme I was recently published. The closing date for submission of offers was Friday 8th July 2011 at 1:00pm.
CLOSURE OF THE INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN: The EEA and the Norwegian Financial Mechanisms 2004-2009
The Maltese Focal Point of the EEA and the Norwegian Financial Mechanisms (PPCD - OPM) has closed a 4-month information and publicity campaign on increasing awareness about the projects implemented in Malta and Gozo with support by a Grant from the 2004-2009 programme.
This campaign mainly consisted of general public promotion together with educational and artistic activities (lessons, project visits and a drawing competition) which involved over 230 secondary schools' students and teachers in Malta and Gozo. In addition, an Exhibition (photo) was organised between the 14th March and the 11th April whereby the best twelve drawings selected from the drawing competition [were exhibited at the lobby of the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta. This exhibition was opened by the Hon. Dr. Chris Said - Parliamentary Secretary for Consumers, Fair Competition, Local Councils and Public Dialogue and by Ms Inger Stoll from the Financial Mechanism Office in Brussels. Both Hon Dr Said and Ms Stoll highlighted the positive bilateral relations taking place between Malta and the Donor States (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein). The opening was attended by the Maltese Focal Point, the Project Promoters (MRRA - Restoration Unit, Heritage Malta, Nature Trust Malta, Malta Police Force, Malta International Airport, the Ministry for Gozo and Transport Malta), and the media.
As a closure to this campaign, the Maltese Focal Point organised a Prize/Certificate-giving Ceremony (photo 01, photo 02) on Monday 23rd May at the Aula Magna within the Old University Buildings in Valletta. Mr Arne Gjermundsen, Minister Counsellor at the Royal Norwegian Embassy to Malta, presented the 17 students whose drawings were selected to feature in the Exhibition with a book titled ‘Lost in Norway'. These books were donated by the Royal Norwegian Embassy. Mr Gjermundsen highly praised the results of the interventions which Malta obtained through the Grant donated by the EEA and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2004-2009.
The participating students and teachers were presented with a Certificate of Participation each by Mr Stephen Calleja, Director (Programmes and Projects), PPCD, OPM. During the same event, Mr Calleja also presented 2012 calendars portraying the artistic works produced by these students. A presentation providing an overview of the contribution of these schools and students in this campaign and also about the activities in which they participated was delivered by Ms Antonella Seguna (Senior Manager, Bilateral Programmes.
Tenth and Eleventh Call for Project Proposals under the European Regional Development Fund
Two calls for project proposals part-financed by the European Union under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2007-2013 were recently open. Eligible applicants were invited to submit applications for projects falling under Priority Axis 2: Promoting Sustainable Tourism and Priority Axis 6: Urban Regeneration and Improving the Quality of Life of Operational Programme I ‘Investing in Competitiveness for a Better Quality of Life' respectively. The focus areas opened under these calls were: Product Development & Niche Market Development and Branding (PA 2) and Internal Mobility (PA 6)
Both calls closed on Friday 6th May 2011 at noon (12:00hrs)
ENPI CBC MED Programme - Tender notice for external audit
The Managing Authority of the ENPI CBC MED programme (region of Sardegna) launched a tendering process in connection with the external audit on technical assistance expenditure and project management for the period between 1/1/2011 and 31/12/2016. The tender amount is set at a maximum of €217,000.00 excluding VAT. The deadline for the submission of offers was Monday 2 May 2011 at 2:00 pm.
Further information about this tender notice can be found here.
The EEA and the Norwegian Financial Mechanisms (2004-2009): Exhibition of Artistic Works 14th March - 11th April 2011, National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta.
As part of a national information and publicity campaign to promote the projects co-financed by the EEA Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism (2004-2009), PPCD inaugurated an artistic exhibition that was held between Monday 14th March and Monday 11th April 2011 at the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta. The Parliamentary Secretary for Consumers, Fair Competition, Local Councils and Public Dialogue, the Hon. Dr Chris Said, officially launched the exhibition on Monday 14th March in the presence of Ms Inger Stoll - a senior official from the Financial Mechanism Office in Brussels. Present at the opening were representatives from PPCD, who manage the Maltese Focal Point for these mechanisms, and from the entities which benefitted from these grants.
The exhibition displayed the best twelve artistic works created by secondary school students who attend various schools in Malta and Gozo. As part of this campaign, these students visited one of the projects, were provided information about these financial mechanisms and the projects, and were then requested to create these drawings.
Through the EEA and the Norwegian Financial Mechanisms (2004-2009), Malta received €3.6 million which were invested in seven different projects in Malta and Gozo. Projects include the structural changes as requested by Schengen regulations at the Malta International Airport; works for the conservation of Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum; and the development of the Xrobb l-Għagin Nature Park and Sustainable Development Centre.
For further information on these mechanisms please click here. The Event Poster may be downloaded from here.
MED Second Call for Strategic Projects - Launch Seminar
A seminar in connection with this call was held on Thursday 7th April 2011 in Marseille. This seminar will give participants technical information about the call and provide interested parties with the opportunity to get advice about project contents. The Second Call for Strategic Projects of the MED programme will be opened between the 1st April and the 30th September 2011, more information about this call may be found here.
FOURTH CALL FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS UNDER THE INTERREG IVC PROGRAMME
The fourth call for project proposals under the INTERREG IVC Programme closed on Friday 1st April 2011. The call focused on regional initiative projects i.e. ‘classic' interregional cooperation projects comparable to those supported under the INTERREG IIIC programme.
The budget allocated to this call was €100 million. Projects were to be be submitted under the two priorities addressed under this Programme that were: ‘Innovation and Knowledge economy' and ‘Environment and Risk prevention'. The eligible Interreg IVC cooperation area covers the entire territory of the European Union, together with Norway and Switzerland. Applications could be submitted by public authorities and bodies governed by public law, from the programme's eligible area. Private entities could also participate.
Furthermore, in view of the above mentioned call a Lead Applicant Seminar was held in Malta on 20th January 2011, that provided detailed information on the IVC Programme including the Programme priorities, the eligible areas, the application pack and the type of projects which may be financed under this call.
Announcement of Next Calls for Proposals and Expressions of Interest under the ESPON 2013 Programme
A new Call for Proposals and Expression of Interest under the European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion (ESPON 2013) Programme was launched on Monday 24th January 2011 and closed on Monday 21st March 2011. Scientists, experts, representatives of universities, research institutes, and companies from 31 European countries were invited to become involved in these new ESPON projects. More informationcan be found through the ESPON website.
All the documentation related to this call, including the project specifications, the procedure for applying, the eligibility rules, the evaluation criteria and the submission material, were available on the ESPON Website. The targeted Potential beneficiaries of this call were public and private bodies
Info Day and Partner Cafe`
In conjunction with the Calls, the ESPON 2013 Programme is organised an Information Day and Partner Café on 10th February 2011 in Brussels. The event was open for all potential beneficiaries interested in learning more about opportunities for taking part in ESPON project activities.
Vacancies at the INTERREG IVC Joint Technical Secretariat Lille, France
The INTERREG IVC Joint Technical Secretariat based in Lille, has vacancies for a Finance Officer; a Communications Officer; a Programme Assistant; and a temporary Project Officer. The call for applications for applications closed on Friday 4th March 2011.
Results of the first call for strategic projects under the MED Programme: Promotion of Renewable Energy and Efficiency Improvement
The Selection Committee of the MED Programme has selected the following three projects under Objective 2.2 of the Programme which deals with the ‘Promotion of Renewable Energies and Efficiency Improvement. The selected projects are the following:
ELIH Med - Energy Efficiency in Low-income Housing in the Mediterranean;
MARIE - Mediterranean Building Rethinking for Energy Efficiency Improvement;
PROFORBIOMED- Promotion of Residual Forestry Biomass in the Mediterranean Basin.
Three Maltese partners are participating in the ELIH Med and the MARIE projects with a budgetary allocation of €680,272 financed through the European Regional Development Fund(ERDF).
NER 300 Initiative
The European Commission, Directorate-General for Climate Action announced the first Call for Proposals for carbon capture and storage projects and innovative renewable energy under the NER300 Initiative. The call closed on Wednesday 9th February. Further information may be found here.
FIFTH REPORT on ECONOMIC, SOCIAL and TERRITORIAL COHESION
The Fifth Cohesion Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion was published on 10th November 2010 by the European Commission. The aim of this Cohesion Report is to support the Europe 2020 Strategy and highlight the contribution that regions, and Cohesion Policy, can make to meet these objectives.
The report argues that the Europe 2020 headline targets cannot be achieved by policies formulated at EU or National level alone. This is the first report adopted under the Lisbon Treaty, which added territorial cohesion to the twin goals of economic and social cohesion. To cover this, the report, first analyses the territorial dimension of access to services, secondly, it pays more attention to climate change and the environment and thirdly, it considers how the territorial impact of policies can be measured. The report may be viewed through the following link.
Conclusions of the Fifth Report on Economic and Territorial Cohesion:
The Conclusions of the Fifth Cohesion Report are divided into five sections. These sections look at how the policy can be made more effective and its impact improved so as to enhance the European added value (Section 2), at how governance of the policy can be further strengthened (Section 3), at how the delivery system can be streamlined and made simpler (Section 4) and at the architecture of the policy (Section 5). With these conclusions the Commission has opened a public consultation on the future of cohesion policy.
Public Consultation
The public consultation closed on the 31st January 2011 and its aim was to collect ideas and contributions on the question of how the Union's cohesion policy should adapt to new challenges and how its delivery can be improved in order to maximise its impact in the future. More information about this consultation may be found here.
mE&U fest - Presentation of Prizes of Children's Competition
The presentation of prizes to the winners of the Children's drawing competition, that was organised as part of the mE&U fest held in September 2010, was held recently.
The mE&U fest was the main activity held in 2010 to increase awareness and provide information on the Cohesion Policy 2007-2013. Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 is the European Union's strategy to reduce economic and social disparities among its regions and Member States. The 2007-2013 Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund provide the finances to achieve these goals.
The mE&U fest was organized by the Planning and Priorities Co-ordination Department (PPCD) within the Office of the Prime Minister on 5 September in Gozo and on 8 September in Malta. People visiting the events received information about what Cohesion Policy means for Malta and Gozo and were able to see examples of projects that are being implemented through the Structural Funds 2007-2013, all set against a showcase of local talent with the participation of a number of local singers and performers.
The festival included a drawing competition for children. To participate in the competition, children had to interpret one of the topics that were being presented during the festival: Employment Opportunities; the Built and Natural Environment; Science and Technology; and Health and Education.
The winners were 8 year old Philip Paul Grima, from Sannat, Glenn Curmi, 12, from Munxar; Leon Bartolo, 6 from Għargħur and Christina Vassallo, 12 from Hamrun. Each winner was given a book token as well as a pack of promotional items as memento of the occasion. Mr. Stephen Calleja, Director (Programmes and Projects), PPCD presented the prizes.