https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/4813 2026-04-09T15:46:34Z 2026-04-09T15:46:34Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/5379 2016-01-06T14:21:22Z 2003-03-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Innovation policy in seven candidate countries : the challenges : Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey : final report vol 1 Abstract: Starting from the 1995 Green Paper on Innovation, the EU has increasingly placed innovation at the heart of its’ economic policy objectives. This process culminated in the strategic goal set by the Lisbon European Council in March 2000, that the European Union (EU) should become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustaining economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion by the year 2010. In the candidate countries, during this period of intense policy action in favour of innovation, the attention of Governments and stakeholders was focused on building the necessary legislative, regulatory and institutional environment for a functioning market economy. Allied to regulatory reform, a significant effort has been undertaken to change corporate ownership structures, promote the creation of private enterprises and improve the functioning of industry and services with a view to meeting the competitive pressure of the Single European Market. Much of the growth achieved has been due to improved cost-efficiency by existing enterprises and through new activities introduced by foreign direct investors rather than by the creation of new local sources of entrepreneurial value and innovation. To sustain growth, however, Governments in the candidate countries now face the challenge of designing and adopting new more complex policy solutions. For most of the candidate countries, the issue is no longer about meeting the conditions for entry to the EU, but about identifying and mobilising factors enabling them to continuously improve the level of competitiveness of their economies. Innovation is a core element of knowledge-based economies and a major source of competitiveness. As highlighted in a recent report, innovation is diverse and pervasive. It is not just based on research or science and technology, or even on enterprise and ingenuity (entre- preneurial skill and knowledge). It also involves managerial and marketing skills, organisational, social, economic and administrative knowledge. The need to take account of the “diverse routes to innovation” has been explicitly recognised in the March 2003 Commission Communication “Innovation Policy: updating the Union’s approach in the context of the Lisbon Strategy”. Accordingly, it is in this context that the study set out to “examine and analyse the current framework conditions for selected innovation issues” in the CC7. This report is the second of two studies examining the level of development of and the key challenges for innovation policy in the countries currently in the process of accession to the European Union. The first study was carried out during the period June 2000 to September 2001 and covered the so-called Luxembourg Group (Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia, or CC6)3. This second study was completed during the 15-month period from October 2001 and concerns the so-called Helsinki group (Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, the Slovak Republic and Turkey, or CC7). The analysis was carried out in parallel with the conclusion of the accession negotiations with 10 of the 13 candidate countries4. In order to fulfil its remit, the study team carried out an exhaustive analysis of information and data on innovation performance and the policy framework for innovation in each of the candidate countries. This analysis takes into account the opinions and views of over 300 key stakeholders in the CC7 (public authorities, innovation support organisations and the business community) collected at national level through interviews, an innovation policy workshop and an opinion survey. This executive summary is structured around six main challenges arising from the main findings of the study, illustrated by examples of policy development from the seven countries, and proposing a number of corresponding policy options. Description: Contract No INNO-02-06; Acknowledgement: The University of Malta would like to acknowledge its gratitude to the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union for their permission to upload this work on OAR@UoM. Further reuse of this document can be made, provided the source is acknowledged. This work was made available with the help of the Publications Office of the European Union, Copyright and Legal Issues Section.

2003-03-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/4875 2016-01-06T11:17:03Z 2010-12-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Expert evaluation network delivering policy analysis on the performance of cohesion policy 2007-2013 : task 2 : country report on achievements of cohesion policy : Malta Abstract: The Maltese development pattern is influenced by the typical features of small island states: scarce natural resources, high density of population, lack of critical mass in infrastructure investment, high external dependency etc. These features have an impact on transport, the environment and the sustainability of tourism and make it necessary to strengthen the Island’s knowledge-based economy in order to promote competitiveness. EU Cohesion Policy contributes considerably to tackling these issues through support from the ERDF and Cohesion Fund, while the Island participates in cross-border, trans-national and interregional cooperation programmes. The priorities of these programmes are highly complementary and consistent with the key development challenges: the support is concentrated mainly on sustainable development and environmental protection, (e.g. waste management and water treatment plants), knowledge and innovation as well as transport. Malta has been allocated EUR 728 million of ERDF and Cohesion Fund for the 2007-2013 period. Environment-related investment represents a key priority and accounts for 38% of the total allocation; 25% of the total ERDF has been allocated to accessibility and transport; around 22% has been allotted to territorial development and 13% to support enterprise environment. The overall commitment rate as at end 2009 amounted to around 50% of total funding allocated and during 2009 there were 229 projects (including aid schemes) being implemented. In 2009 the Programme started producing its first outputs and results on the ground: first signs of construction of infrastructure; equipment being procured and s mobilisation of much needed support for enterprises. The recent economic crisis did not change the strategy and the objectives of the OP, which are arguably well suited for fostering the upturn in the economy, thanks to the focus on transport infrastructure, environment, energy territorial development (including tourism) and enterprise support. To boost investment in enterprises and mitigate the consequences of the crisis, in some cases, the allocation of the funds was diverted from public infrastructure to private sector support (e.g. EUR 12 million were allocated to a number of aid schemes for firms, focusing on e-business development, R&D, international competitiveness, innovation and energy). Evidence on performance of intervention is limited and it is too early to identify examples of good practice. The Mid-Term Evaluation of the ERDF OP is currently being carried out and some results can be expected by the end of the year. The ex ante evaluation of the OP, carried out initially, is mostly an analysis of the coherence of the strategy and did not attempt to assess the potential effects of the programme. An analysis of the effectiveness of projects co-financed by the Structural Funds in 2004-2006 examined the achievements of a sample of 13 initiatives, focusing mainly on recommendations for the future in terms of monitoring and collection of data. Some of the main future challenges facing EU Cohesion Policy include: continue to tackle the lack of innovation and entrepreneurial culture and increase the capacity of Malta to generate research and apply new technologies; increase awareness of environmental problems among people and implement larger projects with a significant impact on environmental protection; develop an evaluation culture to systematically assess the performance of policy; improve cooperation between administrative bodies Description: Acknowledgement: The University of Malta would like to acknowledge its gratitude to the European Commission, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy for their permission to upload this work on OAR@UoM. Further reuse of this document can be made, provided the source is acknowledged. This work was made available with the help of the Publications Office of the European Union, Copyright and Legal Issues Section.; Version: Final

2010-12-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/4874 2016-01-06T11:10:50Z 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Expert evaluation network delivering policy analysis on the performance of cohesion policy 2007-2013 : year 1–2011 : task 2 : country report on achievements of cohesion policy : Malta Abstract: Malta is the smallest of the EU member states both by population as well as geographic size. This characteristic is one that has influenced a number of aspects of Cohesion Policy in the country. Firstly, the whole Maltese archipelago is considered as one region at NUTS I and II levels. Second, at a local level, regional policy is limited with most national policy documents addressing the entire country, noting however the specific characteristics of the island of Gozo. The smallness of the economy results in the country being greatly exposed to external shocks, not least the recent economic recession. Although this is true, over the past decade Malta has built up its resilience against these shocks by diversifying its economic structure and shifting from traditional manufacturing activities to more lucrative, higher value added manufacturing and services activities that has helped to wither the economic storm. As a result, the deterioration in economic growth and public finances was contained in comparison to the EU average. Malta’s strategy for Cohesion Policy is presented in its National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) 2007-2013 with projects outlined in two operational programmes. Malta has been allocated EUR 728.1 million under OP I (European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Cohesion Fund) with total funds amounting to EUR 856.6 million when including the Malta funds under co-financing. Around 38% of funds have been allocated to environment and energy, 25% to transport, 22% to territorial development and 13% to enterprise environment. Although changes to the financial allocation have occurred across measures within priority axis, no changes in allocation have taken place by priority axis over the past year, thereby leaving the overall strategy adopted by the local authorities broadly unchanged Description: Acknowledgement: The University of Malta would like to acknowledge its gratitude to the European Commission, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy for their permission to upload this work on OAR@UoM. Further reuse of this document can be made, provided the source is acknowledged. This work was made available with the help of the Publications Office of the European Union, Copyright and Legal Issues Section.; Version: Final

2011-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/4872 2016-01-06T11:00:39Z 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Expert evaluation network delivering policy analysis on the performance of cohesion policy 2007-2013 : year 2–2012 : task 2 : country report on achievements of cohesion policy : Malta Abstract: This report provides an overview of the progress made in policy implementation with respect to ERDF and Cohesion Fund during 2011. The AIR 2011, as well as interviews carried out with the Managing Authority (MA), assisted in the preparation of this report. With respect to the 2011 AIR, the final opinion on the version available at the commencement date was not yet provided by the European Commission (EC) and, as a result, divergences may exist with the 2011 AIR finally approved after this date Description: Acknowledgement: The University of Malta would like to acknowledge its gratitude to the European Commission, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy for their permission to upload this work on OAR@UoM. Further reuse of this document can be made, provided the source is acknowledged. This work was made available with the help of the Publications Office of the European Union, Copyright and Legal Issues Section.; Version: Final

2012-01-01T00:00:00Z