During a CPMR (Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions) conference being held in Lefkosia, Cyprus, the Minister for Gozo and Planning, Clint Camilleri, called for an urgent reform of the European Solidarity Fund so that it better reflects the realities and vulnerabilities of small island Member States, such as Gozo and Malta.
In his intervention at the CPMR Political Bureau, Minister Camilleri referred to the damage caused by storm Harry, which hit several European countries including Malta and Gozo, as well as Portugal, southern Italy and Greece. He stressed that in island regions such as Gozo, the consequences of extreme weather are felt more strongly, with the risk of connectivity disruptions, delays in supply and difficulties in accessing essential services.
The Minister stated that, “here we are not asking for special treatment, but fair treatment. Bad weather and climate change do not distinguish between large and small countries. Therefore, European solidarity should not depend on size either, but on fairness.”
Minister Camilleri explained how these extreme events have further demonstrated the vulnerability of islands to climate change. He noted that, despite the damage suffered by Malta, the current criteria of the European Solidarity Fund create serious structural obstacles to accessing aid.
According to the national criteria, Malta must suffer damage exceeding 0.6% of its Gross National Income in order to be eligible for aid. In practical terms, this means more than €121.5 million in 2026, a limit that is disproportionate for small islands. He also explained how larger countries could benefit from alternative mechanisms, including regional criteria and different thresholds, which however do not apply to Malta due to its classification as a single NUTS 2 region.
This, the Minister argued, leads to a situation where large Member States have more than one path to qualify for aid, while small States such as Malta remain disadvantaged. In this context, the Minister called for the European Union to modernise the European Solidarity Fund, introduce fairer thresholds and consider specific provisions for isolated regions and islands, while moving from a reactive to a proactive approach in the area of climate resilience.
Minister Clint Camilleri recalled that Malta has been a member of the European Union for more than 20 years and has always demonstrated its commitment to European values, cooperation and solidarity. He concluded by saying that today it is being asked that this solidarity be realized not only in principle, but also in practice.
Photo: MGP
