Former Labour leader Alfred Sant said this morning that he was not particularly surprised by Karmenu Vella's declaration that he voted for EU accession 14 years ago.

Dr Sant, now an MEP, said that as far as he was concerned he was "neither here nor there" on the matter.

"Any vote is secret and everybody votes according to what he feels is right," the former prime minister said.

Dr Sant was leader of the Labour Party that opposed EU accession in the referendum of 2003 and Mr Vella had been a prominent member of the party at the time.

Mr Vella told MEPs in a written declaration that he had voted for Malta to join the EU, a statement that caught many by surprise.

Dr Sant, who heads the Labour MEPs at the European Parliament, said there were no negative remarks on Karmenu Vella within the Socialist group.

He said the biggest worry for some was Jean Claude Juncker's decision  to link the environment with other portfolios but that was an issue the European Commission president-designate had to answer.

Labour MEP Marlene Mizzi said there were individual voices among the socialists that expressed concern on the hunting issue but this did not represent a general feeling.

"If he is to receive flak on hunting it is from other political groups not from the socialists," she said.

Ms Mizzi said the PN MEPs had supported Mr Vella's nomination.

Watch Karmenu Vella being questioned by MEPs today from 2.30 p.m. live on timesofmalta.com