registered in EU members states.

MLP spokesman Jose Herrera said that the measures contemplated in the draft bill included heftier fines for vessels breaking maritime law. There are already a number of laws in this respect, and the proposed changes would have made EU regulations much tougher than those of other countries.

The countries that had most to lose from this change would have been Malta, Greece and Cyprus and they rightly used their veto to block the motion being passed. The proposed changes would have meant that these ports would no longer be competitive, compared to their non-EU counterparts.

The measures contemplated in the proposals did not safeguard the environment, said Dr Herrera, but would have created difficulties for our country and the other flagship countries in this important sector.

The Labour party always keeps the national interest in mind above anything else and has no difficulty in supporting the government on this measure, Dr Herrera said. Ship registration is an important economic niche for Malta and it is important that the political sides work together on the subject, he concluded.