Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1105939
18.04.19 13 OPINION Darren Grasso Darren Grasso is director of EU funding at MEUSAC. 1 May marks the 15th anniversary of Malta's accession to the EU. EU membership brought about a num- ber of changes to the quality of life of Maltese citizens. 15 years ago we could not use the same currency when travelling to other EU countries. We could not use a European health card that gives us access to healthcare during a temporary stay in an EU Mem- ber State, as well as Iceland, Liechten- stein, Norway and Switzerland. We may also not have been able to restore iconic and historical buildings and carry out other infrastructural projects. EU membership helped improve al- most every aspect of Maltese life, from work, travel and shopping, to the quali- ty of our environment, our learning op- portunities and the way our businesses buy and sell their goods and services. ese changes are now so much part of everyday life that we can thankfully take them for granted. As a member of the EU, Malta has ex- perienced significant changes, partially due to EU funds. e EU provides funding for a broad range of projects covering areas such as regional and urban development; em- ployment and social inclusion; research and innovation. e ultimate scope of EU funding is to better the lives of EU citizens through projects that can be implemented by various entities, including non-gov- ernmental organisations, local councils and government bodies. Let us take a look at some of the ways EU funding helped improve our way of life. Education and training EU funding has created great edu- cational opportunities for young peo- ple through Erasmus+, the EU's pro- gramme for education, training, youth and sport. rough Erasmus+, many local or- ganisations were provided an opportu- nity to target important issues, such as female participation in sport and sup- ported employment for persons with a disability. A case in point is the project entitled 'Train – Improve – Deliver', which was implemented by the Malta Federation of Organisations Persons with Disabil- ity (MFOPD) and which focused on the provision of a job shadowing experience in the field of supported employment to volunteers of the MFOPD. Erasmus+ is also providing schools with various opportunities, enabling them to participate in mobility oppor- tunities for students and teachers. By organising mobility activities for stu- dents, these partnerships also promote the common values of freedom, inclu- sion, tolerance and non-discrimination as underlined in the Paris Declaration of March 2015. Agriculture In the sector of agriculture, EU funds have helped farmers improve their effi- ciency through infrastructural invest- ments. To cite an example, the Sannat local council in Gozo garnered funds to resurface a number of rural roads with- in the locality with asphalt. Better road transportation will ena- ble farmers to better manage their land and this will ultimately impact the lo- cal economy. Farmers are particularly dependent on roads to transport their products to markets or food processing centres. In addition, there were also other lo- cal councils that implemented similar projects, such as those of Siġġiewi and Għasri. Combatting fraud EU funds also assisted local authori- ties to support actions to combat irreg- ularities, fraud and corruption affecting the EU budget. In fact, through a project with a budget of slightly more than €500,000, the Malta Customs Department set up a canine section and purchased IT soft- ware for handling of intelligence. e Customs Department is now more equipped with the necessary tools to combat the illegal importation, ex- portation and transhipment of illicit goods together with the inherent tax evasion consequential to such illegal activities. MEUSAC's support Set up in 2008, MEUSAC played a cru- cial role in Malta's success within the EU as it supports local organisations in planning their projects and submit the necessary documentation for funding. In the past 10 years, MEUSAC assisted 419 organisations to benefit from over €49 million in EU funds to implement their projects, including the examples cited above. Our aim is to continue to build on lessons learnt and to ensure that local organisations are well placed to secure EU funds for their projects. 15 years of EU funds EU membership helped improve almost every aspect of Maltese life, from work, travel and shopping, to the quality of our environment, our learning opportunities and the way our businesses buy and sell their goods and services