Malta poured €2 billion into EU budget since 2004 but received much more
Malta has contributed €2 billion to the EU budget since joining in 2004 but has remained a net beneficiary, receiving €2.4 billion more in EU funds than it paid by 2027. From 2004 to 2006, Malta contributed €137 million but received €189 million. Between 2007 and 2013, it paid €460 million and gained €855 million. During 2014–2020, Malta contributed €738 million, receiving €1.1 billion. For 2021–2027, Malta is expected to contribute €1 billion and receive €2.3 billion. The EU budget is funded through member states’ GNI-based contributions, VAT, and customs duties, while also raising funds via bonds for recovery plans like NextGenerationEU. Malta’s contributions remain the lowest among member states.
€35 million national cycle network unveiled
Construction on the initial phase of a €35 million national cycle network is expected to commence in the “coming months” following the long-awaited award of the project tender. Once completed, this first phase of the Cycle and Sustainable Mobility Action Plan (C-SAM) will introduce and improve cycling and pedestrian routes linking Msida, Pietà, Blata l-Bajda, Valletta, and the Valletta waterfront. “Infrastructure Malta has recommended awarding the contract to RM Construction Ltd., with the proposed agreement valued at €7,433,721.43,” a spokesperson for the government agency confirmed. (Times of Malta)
MCAST students announce further protests in frustration of MUT action
Students are organising a protest outside the MCAST Mosta Campus in solidarity with lecturers, as negotiations with the government remain unresolved. The protest, themed ‘Tuna Edukazzjoni’ (Give us Education), highlights growing frustration over the ongoing industrial action by the Malta Union of Teachers (MUT). Organisers stated that MCAST students are experiencing “profound frustration and uncertainty” due to the strike, with their futures “hanging by a thread” as they wait for government intervention while their education suffers. The demonstration is scheduled for Wednesday, 27 November, at 11:45 am, with plans to block the main road between the Mosta Campus and the Lidl store opposite.
