The effects of E.U. membership on the island region of Gozo

Abstract

Gozo is a distinct island region with particular characteristics. Its smallness and peripherality create a number of specific advantages and disadvantages which will have to be considered when assessing the benefits or otherwise of Malta's possible accession to the E.U. The present volume contains a selection of papers originally presented during the seminar held at L-Imgarr Hotel on 28 January 2000, on the theme "The Effects of E.U. Membership on the Island Region of Gozo". The seminar was organised by the Gozo Business Chamber and sponsored by the Ministry for Gozo and HSBC. The papers deal with a number of aspects on the overall theme, including the strengths and weaknesses, threats and opportunities, posed by the small economic size and the double insularity of Gozo. A theme that recurs in the discussion relates to the intense competitive environment within which Gozitan business would be expected to operate when and if Malta joins the European Union. The funding opportunities that Gozo could access as an island region, following Malta's accession to the E.U., is another common theme addressed in the papers.