The Structural Funds are financial instruments set up by the European Union to encourage balanced and sustainable levels of development across regions.
There are four Structural Funds under the 2004-2006 Programming Period:
The Structural Funds Programme for Malta, 2004-2006
Structural Funds amounting to Euro 63.19 million have been allocated to Malta for the period 2004-2006, on the basis of priorities agreed between Malta and the European Commission. This amount is complemented by national co-financing and additional funds.
Malta’s Single Programming Document (SPD) (2004-2006) forms the strategic basis for the operational interventions which help Malta improve its infrastructure and strengthen its human resources. This document focuses on all four of the Structural Funds.
The SPD identifies the priorities for intervention, each of which is further divided into measures which target individual areas such as environment, roads, tourism, human resources, rural development and fisheries and Gozo special needs.
The objectives, eligible actions, EU and Malta co-financing rate, as well as the total available budget for each measure are then outlined in the Programme Complement to the Single Programming Document for Malta (2004-2006).
The Programme Complement also includes the eligibility and selection criteria on which projects are assessed and ranked.
List of Selected Projects 2004-2006
The list of projects under each measure is available below:
Priority 1 - Strategic Investments and Strengthening Competitiveness
Priority 2 - Developing People
Priority 3 - Rural Development and Fisheries
Priority 4 - Regional Distinctiveness (Gozo Special Needs)
Measure 5.1 and 5.2 - Technical Assistance
Forthcoming calls for new project proposals
Malta has committed all funds allocated under the Single Programming Document 2004-2006. This means that no further calls for project proposals will be issued.
The Project Selection Process
The Managing Authority for Structural Funds issued a number of calls for project proposals under the respective measures. Submitted project proposals were assessed by the Project Selection Committee. Information on the Project Selection Committee can be found in Chapter 5 of the Programme Complement.
In the case of Priority 4 – Regional Distinctiveness: Gozo Special Needs, the proposals were received by the Managing Authority from the Ministry for Gozo following the endorsement of the Regional Project Selection Committee.
The Monitoring Process
The Single Programming Document (SPD) is monitored on a day-to-day basis by the Managing Authority and the Intermediate Bodies, who are in constant contact with final beneficiaries to ensure smooth and efficient implementation of projects.
Steering Committees are set up to monitor the progress of projects under the different measures, while in the case of Priority 4, Regional Distinctiveness, the Regional Project Committee fulfils this role.
The SPD is also monitored by a Monitoring Committee, which is composed of Government representatives, socio-economic partners, civil society organisations, representatives of the productive sectors, representative of the Gozo Regional Project Committee, the European Commission and the European Investment Bank.
The purpose of the Monitoring Committee is to ensure that the objectives and targets of the measures outlined in the Programme Complement to the Single Programming Document for Malta are being achieved. Presentations delivered during Monitoring Committee meetings can be downloaded here.
Structural Funds Database
The monitoring of financial and physical indicator data in the SPD 2004-2006 includes the use of a computerized data management system, which facilitates the electronic transfer of financial and indicator data for all measures and projects under the SPD into a central database maintained by the Managing Authority.
Currently the Structural Funds Database [SFD] is operational at all relevant stakeholders. The new version of the Structural Funds Database (SFD07) is currently being set up. The SFD's draft manual is available for circulation to all registered SFD users.
Further Information and Downloads