MEUSAC now in its 12th year of operations

Now in its 12th year, MEUSAC - a government agency - assists organisations to tap into EU funds, gathers feedback from civil society in a bid to rope them in the EU decision-making processes, and last but not least informs citizens on the latest developments in the EU, including on new proposed policies and legislation, and initiatives, rights and obligations.

In the EU funding sphere, MEUSAC can boast of a clear understanding of funding goals and guidelines and has helped various organisations submit competitive project applications to implement their dream projects.

MEUSAC also hosts Europe Direct Valletta – one of many walk-in information centres found across the EU, which is an add-on to MEUSAC’s information services.

We are one of the few government agencies in Europe that provide such services and the services are free of charge. The people we work with comprise of citizens, representatives of various organisations, local councils and government entities, and schools.

Europe Direct Valletta

The Europe Direct concept was initiated by the European Commission in a bid to engage with citizens on EU-related topics at local and EU level. Europe Direct refers those turning to its services to specialised information services, depending on the requests received.

We also organise events throughout the year, such as on Europe Day, where different EU information providers in Malta come together to serve as a one-stop shop for all things EU. Europe Direct Valletta and MEUSAC also participate in Science in the City festival (Researchers’ Night) and SkolaSajf.

Reaching different audiences

As time goes by, MEUSAC is becoming more strategic in terms of its media campaign planning and article writing.

Most articles are part and parcel of the various media campaigns executed by its Communications and Events team.

Results of media campaigns are all taken into consideration in order to ensure MEUSAC is reaching as many people as possible when it comes to conveying its EU messages or reaching out to NGOs and other organisations who are seeking the support of the agency to tap into and apply for EU funds. In fact, MEUSAC uses the various channels available, be they traditional, online or mobile-based options.

MEUSAC is also implementing a European Social Fund project - ‘Engage’ - whereby one of the activities involved training to MEUSAC staff on how stakeholder capacity may be enhanced. Organisations were also offered training and mentoring sessions in stakeholder engagement, EU funding and communications. The project started off in 2018 and will be coming to an end with a half-day seminar on 10 March.

Policy Tracker

MEUSAC has engaged in another initiative, the latest of a series of initiatives,  aimed at enhancing particpation in social dialogue in Malta.

The MEUSAC Policy Tracker, launched in December 2019, is intended to facilitate the EU decision-making process and keep stakeholders informed of the progress by the EU institutions in the adoption of proposals.

The tracker gives a step-by-step overview of specific proposals. The Policy Tracker also allows stakeholders to provide their feedback on specific policies through the MEUSAC website, making it much easier for interested parties to participate in the consultation exercise, even if they cannot physically attend MEUSAC consultation sessions.

The EU decision-making process tends to be a prolonged and complicated affair, being frequently subject to misconceptions and fake news stories. The Policy Tracker looks to make this entire process clear, following specific policies from the European Commission’s proposal to the final adoption of the legal act by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament.

Should you require any EU-related information, then MEUSAC is your best bet.

You can reach us on Facebook or Instagram. Alternatively, you can call us on 2200 3300 or send us an e-mail on [email protected]. Our website www.meusac.gov.mt serves as a platform for the latest updates on EU-related matters.

The author forms part of the Communications and Events team at MEUSAC.