EU Islands Strategy Must Reflect Malta & Gozo Realities, Says MEP Thomas Bajada

Maltese MEP Thomas Bajada has written to Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto and Commissioner Costas Kadis calling for the upcoming European Union Strategy for islands and coastal communities to properly reflect the realities faced by Malta and Gozo.

His intervention follows a series of consultations with Maltese and Gozitan stakeholders earlier this year, which highlighted the specific and persistent challenges experienced by island communities.

Bajada emphasised that islands should not be treated as peripheral within European policy making. He called for targeted EU funding mechanisms, more favourable co-financing rates, and stronger recognition of the structural disadvantages that arise from permanent geographical isolation.

He also stressed the importance of guaranteed connectivity, including reliable air, sea and digital links, which are essential for economic activity and social cohesion. In addition, he urged tailored support for a fair energy transition, alongside specific considerations for islands within the review of the EU emissions trading system.

Through his work on the upcoming multiannual financial framework, Bajada is also advocating for a preferential co-financing rate of 75 per cent for island regions. He argued that such measures are necessary if cohesion policy is to remain fair and effective across the European Union.

In a parallel statement in Maltese, he reiterated that being an island is not only a matter of identity or geography, but a daily challenge that affects costs, time and access to services.

He insisted that European policy must better understand these realities and respond accordingly, noting that what is being requested is not favouritism, but appropriate recognition and respect for island communities.

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