Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1537311
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 JULY 2025 NEWS JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Majority of Maltese back EU funding for migrant integration, survey shows Three in four Maltese believe EU funds should support the integration of migrants and refugees, well above the EU average of 54%, with Malta also ranking among the top countries in support for investment in education, health, the environment, and clean energy. MALTESE citizens are among the most likely in the European Union to value EU investment in the integration of migrants and refugees, according to a new Eurobarometer survey on regional policy. With 75% of respondents in Malta viewing this funding as important, the country ranks second highest in the EU, alongside Sweden and just be- hind Luxembourg with 80%. This is well above the EU av- erage, where only 54% of re- spondents across all Member States consider such invest- ment important. The survey, commissioned by the European Commission, reveals wide con- tinental variation in how EU citizens perceive the role of EU funding across different poli- cy areas—including migration, education, environment, and innovation. At the lower end of the spec- trum, fewer than one in five respondents in Bulgaria (19%) and Latvia (19%) consider in- vestment in the reception and integration of migrants and refugees to be important. In contrast, Malta's 75% support places it among a small group of countries where integration funding garners clear public backing. The Eurobarometer asked re- spondents to evaluate the im- portance of EU investment in ten key areas for their city or region. In nearly all Member States—24 out of 27—educa- tion, health and social infra- structures emerged as the top priority. Malta was one of three countries, alongside Ireland and Hungary, where 98% of re- spondents ranked these social domains as important for EU investment, the highest propor- tion in the EU. Only Denmark, the Nether- lands, and Sweden diverged from this trend. In Denmark, investment in renewable ener- gy and the environment jointly topped the list (84%), while in the Netherlands, the environ- ment alone was the top priority (93%). In Sweden, research and innovation led with 86%. Malta also ranks among the top countries in other invest- ment categories. 97% of Maltese respondents believe environ- mental protection is an impor- tant area for EU funding—on par with Italy, the joint highest in the bloc. For investment in renewable, clean energy and energy networks, Malta again ranks near the top, with 94% support, second only to Austria (93%) and Portugal (92%). Support for research and in- novation also remains high among Maltese respondents, al- though the highest proportions were recorded in Italy (96%), followed by Portugal and Aus- tria (both at 92%). When it comes to investment in small and medium-sized en- terprises (SMEs), the strongest backing is found in Portugal (95%), Bulgaria (91%), Latvia (90%), Ireland (90%) and Aus- tria (90%). Malta was not among the top five in this category, though support remains strong compared to Nordic countries like Denmark (59%) and Swe- den (64%). The Eurobarometer also as- sessed public sentiment to- wards EU investment in tour- ism and culture. Italy leads in this category, with 89% of re- spondents identifying tourism and culture as important in- vestment areas. Malta follows closely, with 84% of respondents backing such EU funding, alongside Portugal (81%) and Romania (80%). By contrast, support for in- vestment in tourism and culture is significantly lower in Nordic and Central European coun- tries, with only 44% in Denmark and 46% in Sweden considering it important. Czechia and Fin- land also show less enthusiasm, with just under half of respond- ents agreeing. The survey also shows that 63% of Maltese citizens are aware of projects co-financed by the EU to improve the area where you live in contrast to just 40% of EU citizens. More- over 87% of Maltese who were aware of these projects think that these projects have had a positive impact on their life in contrast to 79% of all EU citi- zens. The survey was based on inter- views with 25,737 EU citizens including 508 in Malta. The re- sults for Malta have a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points. EU regional policy can invest in many different domains. Which of the following examples do you consider among the more important or less important for your city or region? % 'More important' EU Malta Education, health and social infrastructure 91 98 Environment 86 97 Research and Innovation 85 88 Support for SMEs 84 86 Renewable energy 81 94 Vocational training 81 79 Transport facilities 79 86 Tourism and Culture 62 84 Broadband internet access 56 72 Reception and integration of migrants and refugees 54 75