Statement by the
Ministry of Education, Employment and the Family in
connection with the ‘Youth in Action’ and ‘Life-long
Learning’ Programmes for 2010
The European Commission
has informed the unit (referred to as the National
Authority) responsible to oversee the European Union
Programmes Agency (EUPA), within the Ministry of
Education, Employment and the Family, that it is
temporarily suspending the actions covered by the
2010 calls for proposals for the ‘Youth in Action’
and the ‘Lifelong Learning’ Programmes.
The Commission has taken
this step as a precautionary action until it is
satisfied that all the assurance measures have been
adopted by the National Authority and National
Agency (EUPA).
The Commission is
requesting information from the National Authority
on the concrete measures that have already been
taken or are planned. Systems and financial audits
are carried out on an annual basis by independent
auditors; in such reports, a number of
recommendations are made to ensure better
operational and financial controls which need to be
implemented.
EUPA has been working to
update procedures to ensure a more timely and better
quality reporting system as recommended by the
auditors and the European Commission.
The Ministry of
Education, Employment and the Family is fully
committed to ensuring that the recommendations are
in place. While expressing her disappointment at
this development, Minister Cristina has given
instructions to Ministry officials, led by the
Permanent Secretary, to take all the steps that need
to be taken without further delay.
The Commission is due to
inform the Ministry in the coming weeks of the steps
that have to be taken to allow an early resumption
of the programmes.
The Commission has
requested the EUPA to continue to fulfil all its
contractual obligations for previous Calls for
Proposals under the Youth in Action and Lifelong
Learning Programmes.
The participation of
Maltese organisations and individuals in the
centralised actions of the LLP is not affected. The
mobility of other participating countries' nationals
to Malta also remains fully eligible under the
decentralised programme actions.
Those persons who need
further clarifications are kindly requested to phone
on 2558 6130.
