Making reference to the recently published EPP manifesto, Dr Gonzi added that this position was unique in the European Parliament.

He said the European socialists, the greens and most of the minority groups in the EP favoured regulation.

Dr Gonzi was speaking at a meeting between the party’s EP candidates and a number of employers’ organisations.

The meeting was part of a series of discussions the PN is having with different social partners as part of its electoral campaign.

He said the aim of such meetings was to present the party’s vision to these organisations and in return hear any comments or concerns they wanted to voice.

Businesses involved in import and export with the EU, he said, have witnessed the removal of a lot of bureaucratic procedures when dealing with member states.

“We believe the Maltese product is a valid one and we will be doing our best to make it competitive,” he said.

He reiterated the government’s commitment towards curbing public expenditure and ensuring the sustainability of the Maltese economy.

Commenting on the government’s work in this respect, the prime minister said the announcement that the government would cut Lm0.5m from the Malta Tourism Authority’s budget was twisted by some sectors of the media.

Dr Gonzi said the cuts were aimed at the company’s operations and not its marketing budget, adding that the reductions reflected a good cost cutting exercise by the organisation’s directors.