Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546553
12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 13 SEPTEMBER 2026 NEWS PRE-ANNOUNCEMENT OF CALL FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS UNDER Internal Security Fund 2021-2027 The Ministry responsible for European Funds would like to pre-announce the following call under the Internal Security Fund (ISF): Specific Objective 3: Supporting the strengthening of Member States' capabilities in relation to preventing and combating crime, terrorism and radicalisation, as well as managing security-related incidents, risks and crises, including through increased cooperation between public authorities, relevant Union bodies, offices or agencies, civil society and private partners in different Member States. The proposed call will contribute to the funding priority of 'enhancing the capabilities of law enforcement authorities and other key stakeholders to effectively prevent and tackle hate crime and hate speech, through the delivery of targeted training programmes and the establishment and improvement of mechanisms that facilitate the reporting and identification of victims.' The call will be launched on 18 th September 2026, and it will close on 12 th February 2027 at noon. The application form, details of eligibility and indicator guideline notes will be made available with the launch of the call. Prospective applicants are encouraged to refer to the ISF Programme available on https://fondi.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ISF-MT-Programme-v.3.0.pdf in order to check whether their proposals are eligible for funding through this call for project proposals. An information session will also be held on the contents of the application form and respective guidelines. For further information, the Managing Authority can be contacted by e-mail on fondi.eu@gov.mt. Malta drops in EU minimum wage ranking MALTA has fallen to 15th place among 22 EU member states with a national statutory min- imum wage, according to the latest review published by Eu- rofound. The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions tracks statutory minimum wages across the EU and its latest re- view published on 1 September shows that Malta, which ranked eighth in both 2016 and 2021, had fallen seven places by 2026. Compared to 2016 the follow- ing countries have over taken Malta: Slovenia, Lithuania, Po- land, Cyprus, Portugal, Croatia and Greece. The shift reflects rapid wage growth in several central and eastern European countries, which has narrowed histori- cal pay gaps and significantly changed the EU's minimum wage rankings over the past decade. Eurofound's 10-year dataset highlights the sharp rise of sev- eral eastern member states. Lithuania recorded the big- gest jump, moving from 20th place when it recorded the EU's third-lowest minimum wage in 2016, to ninth place in 2026. Poland also climbed signifi- cantly, rising from 13th place in 2016 to 10th place a decade lat- er. Slovenia moved into seventh place, while Croatia advanced to 13th. Germany also climbed steadily among the larger western Euro- pean economies, moving from sixth place in 2016 to third 10 years later, behind only Luxem- bourg and Ireland. Malta now ranks 15th, directly behind Greece. Despite its relative decline, Malta remains ahead of seven EU countries: Estonia, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Latvia and Bulgaria. Policy drivers and collective bargaining In its wider analysis, Euro- found points to policy-driven wage growth, including the im- plementation of the EU Min- imum Wage Directive, as an important factor behind these changes. The directive encourages member states to assess stat- utory minimum wages against indicators such as median or average wages. According to Eurofound, statutory minimum wages gained real purchasing power in 21 of the 22 member states with a national statutory minimum wage. Eurofound's analysis also points to a structural challenge emerging from the increase in minimum wages. In lower-paid sectors, statutory minimum rates are increasingly catching up with collectively agreed wage floors. This can compress wage scales at the lower end, making it more difficult for trade unions and employers to preserve wage differentials between mini- mum-wage workers and those with greater skills or experi- ence. Gross rankings versus net income Eurofound's ranking meas- ures gross nominal statutory minimum wages converted to a common 12-month basis. It therefore does not measure net disposable income or differenc- es in taxation, social security contributions, benefits or living costs between countries. When Malta's tax and social security system is taken into account, the picture for mini- mum-wage workers is different. According to data from Mal- ta's Department for Industrial and Employment Relations (DI- ER), the national statutory min- imum wage stands at €229.44 per week in 2026, equivalent to around €994 per month gross, including cost-of-living adjust- ments (COLA). Malta's progressive income tax system exempts the first €12,700 of income. Minimum-wage earners in Malta therefore pay no income tax and are subject only to a capped 10% National Insurance contribution, where- as overtaking eastern European nations deduct a combined 20% to 35%. State subsidies on energy and fuel, free healthcare and target- ed in-work benefits can further reduce the cost burden faced by lower-income households in Malta. This underlies the pivot- al role of the state in supporting low wages offered in the job market. While Eurofound's gross wage figures show Malta falling be- hind a number of rapidly grow- ing eastern European econo- mies, taxation, social security contributions and the value of state support remain important factors when assessing the ac- tual disposable income of min- imum-wage workers. Reporting by James Debono Compared to 2016 the following countries have over taken Malta: Slovenia, Lithuania, Poland, Cyprus, Portugal, Croatia and Greece