JetFreight CEO Olvin Galea has urged the EU to back its recently unveiled island strategy with dedicated funding and support measures to safeguard freight links between islands and mainland Europe.
Mr Galea spoke to MaltaCEOs.mt after the European Commission presented the first dedicated strategy for EU islands, which aims to integrate the needs of islands like Malta into broader European policies.
As he laid out in an earlier LinkedIn post, the true importance in this strategy lies in what comes next.
He said that the EU should establish dedicated funding and support to safeguard freight connectivity between islands and mainland Europe.
“Connectivity is not a luxury for island states; it is an economic necessity that directly affects the cost of living and the competitiveness of businesses,” he explained.
He added that EU policies should take into account the structural disadvantages faced by island-based businesses, who face unavoidable transport costs that their mainland counterparts don’t incur, and ensure that new environmental and regulatory measures don’t disproportionately impact island economies.
“EU policies should recognise these structural disadvantages and ensure that new environmental and regulatory measures do not disproportionately impact island economies,” he said.
He also called for targeted support for EU sustainability initiatives, including fleet modernisation, digitalisation and energy-efficient logistics infrastructure, as well as a reduction in administrative burdens to enable the smoother movement of goods across EU borders.
“Every inefficiency in the supply chain ultimately increases costs for households and businesses,” he warned.
Finally, he said that future EU legislation should include an ‘island impact assessment’ to ensure their realities are properly taken into account before new measures are introduced.
“Ultimately, the objective should be simple: ensuring that businesses and consumers living on islands are not placed at a competitive disadvantage solely because of geography,” Mr Galea said.
“If the new strategy succeeds in delivering practical solutions in this regard, it can become a significant step forward for Malta and other island regions across Europe.”
Cover photo: Olvin Galea/ LinkedIn
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