When EU officials visit Malta for the first time, they are often surprised by the minute geography of the island. They would of course be aware that Malta is the EU’s smallest Member State, but they only realise its size when they are whizzed from the airport to Valletta in no time.

“It is simply one of many peculiarities that makes Malta so particular, and it reminds us how important it is for us to constantly sensitise everyone about the island’s unique realities,” explains Lorenzo Vella, Head of the European Commission Representation in Malta.

“Matters such as Malta’s unique blend of Mediterranean culture, its political system, or its very strong tripartite social structure, may affect the way policy is received and how effective it ultimately is for the country, and so we are constantly making sure that such realities are well known. This intelligence from our end often also includes what the groundswell within the business community is feeling, or developments within the country’s executive.”

This role is further accentuated as Malta tends to be underrepresented in EU circles, when compared to other longer standing, larger Member States.

The Representation, now headed by Mr Vella since 1st June 2023, is also responsible for the dissemination of information about the EU locally, working closely with a number of multiplier and outreach organisations such as Malta and Gozo’s Chambers of Commerce, and Servizzi Ewropej f'Malta (SEM), with their own captive audiences.

“We are not only the eyes and ears of the Commission, we are also the voice!” Mr Vella adds. “We talk to Brussels, and we talk to Malta, and that is why we use all the channels at our disposal, both traditional and new, to communicate what the Commission is up to and what legislation, acts and initiatives will ultimately affect citizens’ lives.”

Initiatives such as the European Green Deal - a pillar and political priority of the current European Commission, aimed at transforming the EU into a more modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy – is one of the cornerstones of the work of the Representation. “In actual terms, it aims for the EU to become the first continent to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. This could be seen as an overly ambitious goal by some, but we are currently on track to exceed our 2030 targets towards climate neutrality. Along this path, the Commission is tasked with the mission of striking a balance between all parties involved, so that this transition can be successful.”

“In order to achieve this, we have in place substantial legislation aimed at greening our continent, including by reducing greenhouse gases, fostering a more circular economy, and protecting our biodiversity,” Mr Vella notes.

At an industrial level, the EU realised it needed to catch up in terms of technological development, as well as in terms of the critical raw materials needed for our green and digital transition.  For example, for us to achieve this dual transition, we need to start producing greener and more efficient electric vehicles, but at the same time we also need to guarantee the availability of necessary raw materials. “With this knowledge, the Commission enacted a number of acts including the Chips Act and the Critical Raw Materials Act, aimed at strenghtening Europe’s technological leadership in the future. These pieces of legislation aim to  guarantee the availability of critical raw materials from reliable partners, as well as the production of chips, not only for the production of electric vehicles, but any other tech-based products which are expected to continue increasing in the near future.”

The underlying principle is the philosophy of Team Europe, whereby the EU and its Member States work together to leverage their combined resources to make a more significant and sustainable impact on global development, while also promoting European values and interests around the globe.

Post-COVID, the Recovery and Resilience Facility put considerable funds in place to help Member States restart their economies after the hardships stemming from the lockdowns. “In fact, Malta is set to receive up to €300 million in grants, to finance initiatives and projects to kick off a green healthy digitally-inspired recovery.”

The same is being done through REPower EU, which aims to help our continent produce cleaner energy and diversify our energy supplies, while educating and helping citizens save on energy. “The continent could have been flung into an economic crisis with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, especially after Russia started  sporadically shutting off the gas supply to Europe. Thankfully, this has been averted through the power of collaboration.”

“Similarly, this new way of doing things is expected to aid towards Europe’s digital transition, as we need to focus more on innovation, to avoid having start-ups choosing alternative jurisdictions.”

The European Commission also made it one of its top priorities  to empower businesses and people in a human-centred, sustainable and more prosperous digital future.The entry into force of the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act are two key pillars of this digital transition aimed at ensuring a safe and accountable online environment, while striving to make the markets in the digital sector fairer and more contestable.

“Sometimes, a challenge we encounter is to how best explain to citizens that all these actions will lead to the improvement of their daily lives, yet it all boils down to the somewhat overarching philosophical argument of the European way of life. It is a system of values that brings all citizens together and that informs the policies that may differ from other countries. These cherished values remain at the core of what we do, as they protect the lives and rights of citizens.”

“All the initiatives, policies and acts of the Commission are powerful links in the same chain that are aimed at future-proofing the European economy. Together with initiatives such as the European Semester which aims at encouraging an economic convergence between Member States, the European Commission makes it a point to underline the values of collaboration. Ultimately the EU is a dynamic partner which goes way beyond being solely a source of grants – it is a powerful ally that protects all strata of society”.