Gladiator
22ndMarch2005, 17:56
Malta placed bottom in Lisbon process
Ivan Camilleri in Brussels
Malta has been placed at the bottom of a league table of EU member states' progress towards meeting the goals of the Lisbon Strategy.
A new report released on the eve of the EU leaders' summit in Brussels, which will discuss the revamp of the Lisbon process, has described Malta as a "laggard".
The "scorecard" compares the progress made since 1999 in all the EU's member states, together with candidates Bulgaria and Romania. It is based on an in-depth analysis of 17 "quantifiable" Lisbon goals, varying from employment, innovation and education to the environment.
The Lisbon Strategy is intended to turn the EU into the most competitive, knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010. The EU leaders will discuss a re-launch of the strategy as it reaches its half-way mark, with an emphasis on growth and employment.
The scorecard, compiled by the highly reputable London-based think-tank CER (Centre for Economic Reform), provides an assessment of a country's overall Lisbon performance in 2005, as well as its relative progress since 1999 towards the economic reform goals.
Malta is placed in the 27th position out of 27 countries. It reaches only one "economic goal" out of 17, the same as candidate countries Bulgaria and Romania. (Dejjem l-ahhar)!:eek:
The only good mark Malta obtained is attributed to its progress in the information society field, in which it joins Estonia at the top of the list.
(Dak ghax ghana il-web site ta vivamalta.com)!:D
However, in other, more important sectors, Malta scores very poorly. For example, in the enterprise section of the report, Malta, together with the Czech Republic, Poland and Cyprus, is described as the EU country with the highest levels of subsidies. (Sugar daddy government a la Socjalista). :p
Komplu iselfu. 1.2 Billion liri dejn.:(
Malta has the lowest female employment rate in the EU, just 33.6 per cent, and it also ranks at the bottom with regard to the improvement of skills in the number of citizens aged between 20-24 considered to have attained a full secondary education. In this area, Malta attains only 47.9 per cent, while in Poland the number reaches 89.5 per cent. Education was and isn't important to the our politicians. The vote is more important.:(
In the area of sustainable development, also considered as a very important pillar of the Lisbon Strategy, Malta again gets low marks. The report says that "Cyprus and Malta currently generate none of their electricity from renewable sources, although they are committed to meeting respectively six per cent and five per cent of their need by this way by 2010". :o Our famous Tank build for EneMalta by our most expensive labour - the Malta Drydocks! But we can't deliver gas cyclinders!:mad:
The same assessment applies to the level of waste dumped into landfill sites. The report says that "Estonia and Slovenia have both cut the amount in landfills by more than 100kg per person between 1999 and 2003. But Malta is now dumping into landfill sites 187 kilos more per person than in 1999". Filt is the only thing we produce. Too bad we can't export it?:(
On a positive note the report describes Malta as the country in the EU with the lowest tax burden for low-wage earners, at 15.8 per cent. That's because nobody pays and the government doesn't collect it.:confused:
The lack of progress made towards the Lisbon goals may not be the only reason behind Malta's poor performance. Another could be the lack of statistical data published by the authorities. The report comments that "it is hard to make a definite judgement about the tiny island state of Malta - it does not supply data for many of the key Lisbon measures".
We have lots of government workers but we can't find them enough work to do?:rolleyes: Kafka should be rolling in his grave.
The CER report confirms the success of the Nordic countries. Sweden tops the table and the country has established a clear lead in the number of Lisbon targets already met. Denmark ranks second while, surprisingly, Finland, which often tops the competitiveness surveys, is placed fifth due to its high dependency on state aid.
The UK, the Netherlands and Austria also receive honourable mentions while Estonia tops the list of new member states, beating many Old Europe countries in the process.
The report paints a gloomy picture of progress made so far towards economic reform and awards the EU a C grade overall. The authors say the goal of becoming the most competitive, knowledge-based economy is "now embarrassing" as the EU continues to slide backwards in comparison with the US and continues to be threatened by the large and ever-growing shadow cast by the Indian and Chinese economies.
However, the need for economic reform has never been greater, if Europe - and its social model - is going to hold its head high in the global marketplace, says the report, warning "nobody is going to buy into the values of a declining civilisation".
The Lisbon league table:
Overall Lisbon performance 2005*
Country
Progress made since
1999
Number of Lisbon
targets met**
1
Sweden
5
12
2
Denmark
6
9
3
United Kingdom
2
7
4
Netherlands
12
6
5
Finland
11
7
6
Austria
21
5
7
Slovenia
18
2
8
Luxembourg
19
1
9
Germany
20
3
10
France
4
3
11
Ireland
3
1
12
Estonia
17
4
13
Belgium
14
1
14
Lithuania
15
4
15
Latvia
13
2
16
Czech Republic
27
2
17
Spain
9
3
18
Portugal
16
5
19
Cyprus
22
5
20
Greece
10
0
21
Hungary
1
1
22
Slovakia
23
2
23
Italy
8
2
24
Poland
25
2
25
Rumania
26
1
26
Bulgaria
7
1
27
Malta
24
1
* Ranking based on average performance in the EU's structural indicators list.
** Out of 17 quantifiable Lisbon targets.
Source: Malta Times, Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Ivan Camilleri in Brussels
Malta has been placed at the bottom of a league table of EU member states' progress towards meeting the goals of the Lisbon Strategy.
A new report released on the eve of the EU leaders' summit in Brussels, which will discuss the revamp of the Lisbon process, has described Malta as a "laggard".
The "scorecard" compares the progress made since 1999 in all the EU's member states, together with candidates Bulgaria and Romania. It is based on an in-depth analysis of 17 "quantifiable" Lisbon goals, varying from employment, innovation and education to the environment.
The Lisbon Strategy is intended to turn the EU into the most competitive, knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010. The EU leaders will discuss a re-launch of the strategy as it reaches its half-way mark, with an emphasis on growth and employment.
The scorecard, compiled by the highly reputable London-based think-tank CER (Centre for Economic Reform), provides an assessment of a country's overall Lisbon performance in 2005, as well as its relative progress since 1999 towards the economic reform goals.
Malta is placed in the 27th position out of 27 countries. It reaches only one "economic goal" out of 17, the same as candidate countries Bulgaria and Romania. (Dejjem l-ahhar)!:eek:
The only good mark Malta obtained is attributed to its progress in the information society field, in which it joins Estonia at the top of the list.
(Dak ghax ghana il-web site ta vivamalta.com)!:D
However, in other, more important sectors, Malta scores very poorly. For example, in the enterprise section of the report, Malta, together with the Czech Republic, Poland and Cyprus, is described as the EU country with the highest levels of subsidies. (Sugar daddy government a la Socjalista). :p
Komplu iselfu. 1.2 Billion liri dejn.:(
Malta has the lowest female employment rate in the EU, just 33.6 per cent, and it also ranks at the bottom with regard to the improvement of skills in the number of citizens aged between 20-24 considered to have attained a full secondary education. In this area, Malta attains only 47.9 per cent, while in Poland the number reaches 89.5 per cent. Education was and isn't important to the our politicians. The vote is more important.:(
In the area of sustainable development, also considered as a very important pillar of the Lisbon Strategy, Malta again gets low marks. The report says that "Cyprus and Malta currently generate none of their electricity from renewable sources, although they are committed to meeting respectively six per cent and five per cent of their need by this way by 2010". :o Our famous Tank build for EneMalta by our most expensive labour - the Malta Drydocks! But we can't deliver gas cyclinders!:mad:
The same assessment applies to the level of waste dumped into landfill sites. The report says that "Estonia and Slovenia have both cut the amount in landfills by more than 100kg per person between 1999 and 2003. But Malta is now dumping into landfill sites 187 kilos more per person than in 1999". Filt is the only thing we produce. Too bad we can't export it?:(
On a positive note the report describes Malta as the country in the EU with the lowest tax burden for low-wage earners, at 15.8 per cent. That's because nobody pays and the government doesn't collect it.:confused:
The lack of progress made towards the Lisbon goals may not be the only reason behind Malta's poor performance. Another could be the lack of statistical data published by the authorities. The report comments that "it is hard to make a definite judgement about the tiny island state of Malta - it does not supply data for many of the key Lisbon measures".
We have lots of government workers but we can't find them enough work to do?:rolleyes: Kafka should be rolling in his grave.
The CER report confirms the success of the Nordic countries. Sweden tops the table and the country has established a clear lead in the number of Lisbon targets already met. Denmark ranks second while, surprisingly, Finland, which often tops the competitiveness surveys, is placed fifth due to its high dependency on state aid.
The UK, the Netherlands and Austria also receive honourable mentions while Estonia tops the list of new member states, beating many Old Europe countries in the process.
The report paints a gloomy picture of progress made so far towards economic reform and awards the EU a C grade overall. The authors say the goal of becoming the most competitive, knowledge-based economy is "now embarrassing" as the EU continues to slide backwards in comparison with the US and continues to be threatened by the large and ever-growing shadow cast by the Indian and Chinese economies.
However, the need for economic reform has never been greater, if Europe - and its social model - is going to hold its head high in the global marketplace, says the report, warning "nobody is going to buy into the values of a declining civilisation".
The Lisbon league table:
Overall Lisbon performance 2005*
Country
Progress made since
1999
Number of Lisbon
targets met**
1
Sweden
5
12
2
Denmark
6
9
3
United Kingdom
2
7
4
Netherlands
12
6
5
Finland
11
7
6
Austria
21
5
7
Slovenia
18
2
8
Luxembourg
19
1
9
Germany
20
3
10
France
4
3
11
Ireland
3
1
12
Estonia
17
4
13
Belgium
14
1
14
Lithuania
15
4
15
Latvia
13
2
16
Czech Republic
27
2
17
Spain
9
3
18
Portugal
16
5
19
Cyprus
22
5
20
Greece
10
0
21
Hungary
1
1
22
Slovakia
23
2
23
Italy
8
2
24
Poland
25
2
25
Rumania
26
1
26
Bulgaria
7
1
27
Malta
24
1
* Ranking based on average performance in the EU's structural indicators list.
** Out of 17 quantifiable Lisbon targets.
Source: Malta Times, Tuesday, March 22, 2005