Malta has been granted a permanent derogation that will ensure the smooth-running of the milk production sector in the country, Francis Agius, the parliamentary secretary in the Rural Affairs and Environment Ministry, said yesterday.

Dr Agius was speaking during a visit to Ta’ Xmun farm in Rabat, whose owner received EU assistance to invest Lm300,000 in a state-of-the-art milk producing system.

The parliamentary secretary said the derogation, which the European Council of Ministers adopted formally in December last year, was a clear example that Malta’s voice was being heard in Europe and that constructive dialogue leads to Maltese citizens’ specific needs being taken into consideration.

In January last year, during a meeting of European ministers of agriculture and fisheries, Malta requested an amendment to regulation 1782/2003, which states that new EU members be given the right to entitlements on a special basis when not enough land is available for farming.

Maltese farmers were facing problems when transferring part of their entitlements, which was an essential part of the way they ran their business.

Dr Agius explained that such transfers were necessary for Maltese farmers, whose land available for farming was so limited.

“Lack of space is the exception throughout the rest of Europe, but it is the norm in Malta and we were facing the possibility of a stagnant sector with no internal commerce between farmers,” he said.

In order to retain their right to entitlements, farmers were also obliged to keep a production level of not less than 50 per cent, said Dr Agius, while adding that this did not allow for flexibility in the running of Maltese farmers’ businesses.

The EU regulation has now been amended and Malta has been given a permanent derogation that ensures that certain restrictions, like the 50 per cent obligation, do not apply to Maltese farmers.