‘We must adapt the EU to our particular characteristics, to the needs of sectors of our economy and to our traditions. This is the role of the Maltese government, which is represented at all levels of decision from the Commission’s technical working groups, to the Council working groups to the council of ministers where decisions are shaped to respect national interests.

This should be done in tandem and in constant cooperation and communication with our MEPs who can also amend EU legislation, including funding rules, in their work in committee and plenary in Brussels and in Strasbourg,’ said Dr Peter Agius, former head of the European Parliament office and MEP candidate on the PN list after meeting the Malta Beekeepers Association.

‘We have over 200 bee-keepers in Malta who are victim to a copy paste implementation of EU laws on beekeeping. Rules designed for Poland and France, where the average agricultural holding is 100 times bigger than Malta’s are making it impossible for them to tap into the 125euro EU funding subsidy per bee box. EU rules in this case could have been adapted to our particular situation and help our beekeepers in their noble efforts of protecting our home-grown Apis Mellifera Rutneri, an endemic bee particularly well suited to Maltese territory.

Instead, we have a copy paste approach, forcing beekeepers to move bee boxes every year with a view to promote an objective which makes sense in France but is totally ridiculous in Malta. EU rules foresee bee box movements to ensure wider pollination on holdings spanning kilometres. IN Malta, this is a futile exercise given that a bee can travel 5km and the existing bee boxes cover Malta and Gozo’s pollination needs ten times over.

Malta’s implementation measures moreover require evidence of a title deal with the farmer, something which is customary in the continent, but very difficult to obtain in Malta. The effect of this copy paste implementation of EU rights is that virtually all of the Maltese bee-keepers cannot benefit from the EU funding.’

MEP candidate Peter Agius, who was also speechwriter to President of the EP Antonio Tajani, said that EU accession is not a life guarantee, “we must constantly adapt Union to Malta if we want to see its benefits trickling down to society and to our economy. Otherwise we are driving ourselves towards a relationship of confrontation all down to our own inefficiency. Look at the UK to see where that leads to!. If elected as MEP I will strive to clear the path from EU benefits to reach all sectors of society. I will work with all those involved in a spirit of collaboration in an objective driven mission to continue the promised new spring for Malta in the EU,” concluded the MEP candidate.