Bank of Valletta has been given the green light from the National Bank of Belgium and the Malta Financial Services Authority to open a representative office in Brussels.

The office will build relations with European institutions to participate in the development of EU-funded finance programmes for SMEs. Its activities will be led by Mark Scicluna Bartoli who has vast experience in EU funding programmes for SMEs which he gained with the European Commission, Arthur D. Little, and Malta Enterprise.

“The new EU funding cycle for 2014 to 2020 is being discussed in the European Council and European Parliament,” Mr Scicluna Bartoli explained. “Through the bank’s Brussels office, it will engage with a number of Brussels-based associations which will work to ensure that the new funding programmes are more accessible to small businesses.”