Malta used 100 per cent of the EU funds allocated to it between 2013 and 2020, the prime minister said on Friday.

Despite its title, the 2013-2020 funding deadline technically expired last December. 

Malta received €1.1 billion in EU funding during that period. Money was used for various capital and social projects related to anything from education to Malta’s roads and maritime infrastructure.

Some €673 million in EU funds to Malta were spent on various infrastructural projects as well as on measures intended to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country’s economy. 

Social causes and upskilling efforts also benefitted from an EU cash injection of some €280 million, with funds being disbursed through 54 projects intended to help citizens build on their skills, find better jobs and on bettering the work of the country’s institutions. 

The government estimates that just under 150,000 people in Malta benefitted from opportunities of projects that were made possible through these funds, which did not include additional aid disbursed by the EU through the recovery and resilience fund. 

Other funding streams went towards other initiatives such as the Erasmus program.

Prime Minister Robert Abela made the announcement during a speech on Friday evening. Photo: Office of the Prime Minister

Prime Minister Robert Abela said in a statement that this state of affairs bodes well for the country after the government negotiated the largest funding package ever granted to Malta, effectively doubling the amount of EU funds it has access to. 

Malta was allocated €2.25 billion in the EU budget set for the 2021 to 2027 period, with €1.9 billion allocated from the body’s core budget and an additional €327 million through stimulus funds introduced after the onset of the pandemic. 

Although Malta was allocated €1.1 billion in the 2014 to 2020 funding period, it still had to pay some €501 million in contributions to the EU, leaving some €627 million in the country’s pocket. 

Malta will now be expected to pay €1.2 billion in contributions over the next seven years, to receive around €590 million more than it contributes to the EU budget.