The government was not giving out the e800,000 it had promised to pork producers before Malta joined the European Union, Labour MEP Joseph Muscat said.

The European Commission has stated that it knew about this but it could not force the government to pay up, he added.

Before EU membership, the government had promised pork producers that it would be helping them financially to make up for the removal of levies. The money that should have been given out amounted to a yearly e800,000 between 2004 and 2010.

Although the levies had been removed, the financial help for 2006 had not been allocated and no applications were issued for 2007.

Mr Muscat brought this matter to the attention of the European Commission and, in her reply, Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel replied that the commission was aware of the situation, but it could not force the government to pay up.