Is Juncker’s Investment Plan the Silver Bullet for the EU? journal article Peter James Sant European Structural and Investment Funds Journal, Volume 2 (2014), Issue 4, Page 289 - 296 The objectives of this article are to highlight above all the current lack of capital investment that the European Union has been facing and the main aspects of the new Juncker initiative through its proposed Investment Plan for Europe. In addition, this article highlights the blending of the EU 2014–2020 Structural and Investment Funds, complemented by private capital financing. ‘The SME Initiative’ illustrates how the blending of EU financial instruments is certainly the way forward for reindustrialising Europe and bringing it back to its poll position as a key economic anchor of enhanced competitiveness, stability, job creation and growth.
Leveraging Financial Instruments for SME Growth: The Malta Case Study journal article Peter James Sant European Structural and Investment Funds Journal, Volume 2 (2014), Issue 2, Page 166 - 172 This article presents the challenges of a successful implementation of the first financial engineering instrument (FEI) used to further facilitate the access to finance for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Malta. The reader finds here a comprehensive account of the implementation of the Joint European Resources for Micro to Medium Sized Enterprises (JEREMIE) initiative by the European Investment Fund, the financing gap in Malta, financing issues, obstacles arising during the implementation, as well as the controls and evaluation processes and procedures. The problems and pitfalls encountered are also highlighted. The author explains how the implementation of the first FEI in Malta creates new opportunities for the financial services community and mainly for end beneficiaries, i.e. SMEs. Furthermore, this article highlights some of the new opportunities that will be available within the financial perspective of the programming period 2014-2020.
The Audit Authority’s Role within the Single Audit Concept as Governance Principle in the EU’s Cohesion Policy Marcel Bode
