The European Commission did claim, last year, that Malta, along with other new EU member states, had overstocked its sugar supplies before EU accession. The government of Malta, however, reacted to the charge and is confident the commission will agree with the statement regarding Malta’s situation.

Reacting to a story carried on The Malta Independent on Sunday which quoted the Cyprus Mail, Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino and Permanent Secretary Philip von Brockdorf told this paper that the government had given its reaction last September.

It has not yet heard from the commission officially. However, both claimed unofficial sources said the commission will probably agree with the government’s points. A different fate seems to have been reserved for Cyprus and Estonia.

The government officials said the commission’s reasoning was drawn on international figures which do not apply to Malta.

Furthermore, the Maltese market’s specifics differ from those of other countries.

Moreover, the most cogent of arguments seems to be that the existence of a subsidy to make up for the change in sugar prices after accession removed any motivation for any importer to stock up on sugar.