Malta has one of the lowest numbers of pending cases over breaches of EU law, according to a new report.
It had just 21 pending infringement proceedings against it by the end of 2013, down from 26 the year before, the European Commission report shows.
Only Hungary, at two, and Latvia, 20, had a better record last year.
Brussels is expected to launch a new infringement procedure against Malta as soon as the new trapping season opens
On the other end of the scale, Italy was top of the list with 104 pending cases, followed by Spain at 90 and Greece, 79.
The European Commission tries to get offending member states to comply with EU law by starting what is known as infringement proceedings.
This has three stages. In the first, discussions are held between the Commission and the member state to try and iron out the problem. If the member state still does not comply, a reasoned opinion is then issued asking it to come in line within a given time limit. If this then fails the Commission may decide to take the case before the European Court of Justice.
In Malta’s case, a number of important issues over which Brussels had started legal action against the island a number of years ago remain unresolved.
These include illegal trapping, with infringement proceedings opened in 2010, and the question of service pensions.
European Commission sources told Times of Malta that Brussels is expected to launch a new infringement procedure against Malta as soon as the new trapping season opens later this month.
Following a five-year absence of trapping, the new government, with the blessing of the Ornis Committee, is using a derogation from the Birds directive to allow the trapping of finches – something which is not allowed by EU rules.
The government has been warned several times by the Commission not to allow it but Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes had said he had found a crack in EU laws which allows for the possibility of trapping.
On a general EU level, the report says there has been a marked drop in the number of ongoing infringement cases in recent years.
Most infringements in 2013 (62 per cent of all cases) concern compliance with EU rules on the environment, taxation, transport and the internal market and services.