The Justice Ministry said this afternoon that Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola was wrong to claim in the European Parliament yesterday that Malta had not adopted into its laws the EU's directive against abuse and exploitation of children.

The relevant legislation was enacted last March, and the PN itself had voted in favour, the ministry said.

It said it was unacceptable that the Nationalist MP did not know this, and had instead criticised Malta in a forum such as the European Parliament, claiming that the government was not interested in protecting children from abuse.

METSOLA REACTION - INFRINGEMENT PROCEEDINGS STILL ONGOING

In a reaction, Dr Metsola said the EU had started infringement proceedings against Malta for not having adopted the Directive against child abuse and exploitation within the stipulated time, as it was obliged to do.

The government only transposed the directive into Maltese law when the EU instituted action against Malta.

The government should have adopted the directive immediately, but in a matter which involved the interests of children it had delayed, for no reason.

Dr Metsola pointed out that the infringement proceedings are still ongoing.

GOVERNMENT REPLIES

In another reply, the government said Dr Metsola had changed her tune and was no longer saying that the directive had not been adopted into Maltese law.

It was worth pointing out that the directive was incorporated into Maltese law by the present government, even though it was issued by the EU in 2011. The PN had been in power at the time, and it was the one which did nothing about it.