The agency has been temporarily accredited in recent weeks, pending the outcome of an independent audit of its administrative procedures and IT facilities which confirmed that the agency’s infrastructure is in line with EU regulations.

In real terms, this means that farmers and fishermen will now be in a better position to access EU funding.

Announcing the accreditation, the Department of Information said: “All the work was done by Maltese personnel who deserve credit for enabling Malta to be the first, among acceding countries, to be able to receive applications for EU funding, totalling E184 million.

“Despite the doubts raised by some, government has stood by the statements it issued earlier: that all the necessary structures will be in place by accession. This achievement puts local farmers and fishermen on a par with their counterparts and paves the way for Malta’s progress in the EU.”