The expectations of Labour’s MEP-in-waiting Joseph Cuschieri to be called to Brussels as an observer this autumn have again been dampened by a European Parliament spokesman.

“No decision has been taken on this issue,” the spokesman said in reaction to comments made by Mr Cuschieri to l-Orizzont on Monday when he said he had been informed by “high officials” in one of the EP’s political groups and the government about such a plan.

Mr Cuschieri, who was elected as a Labour MP in the last election but relinquished his seat in Parliament to make way for Labour leader Joseph Muscat, keeps having his hopes of filling Malta’s sixth seat in the EP dashed.

He has been lobbying intensely for the past two years so that a protocol in the EU’s Lisbon Treaty to add 18 new seats in the EP is ratified by all 27 member states. So far, all 27 member states, except three, have finalised the protocol’s ratification process. Romania and Greece have passed the protocol through their national parliaments but still have to deposit the necessary documents in Rome while Belgium has yet to start the ratification process.

The EP’s spokesman explained that “the whole process of ­ratification ends after the countries involved have deposited their ratification documents in Rome”.

The biggest outstanding problem, which could delay the protocol’s entry by many more months, is that Belgium remains without a proper government following the last election held more than a year ago.

Differences between various political coalitions have led to a stalemate in forming a federal government.

Belgium also has a complicated political system where an EU protocol has to be ratified by six different regional parliaments before being adopted.

EP sources said that although the possibility of giving the 18 MEPs-in- waiting an observer status had been considered this was not a “straightforward decision” as it meant added financial constraints for the EP.

MEPs are normally given a €400,000 annual package, which includes a salary of about €80,000 a year and a raft of grants covering the hiring of staff, subsistence and travel allowances and other perks.

The sources said that although, as observers, would-be MEPs would not be entitled to such a package, pressure was being made by some prospective observers and their political parties to be given “a handsome” financial package once they became observers. “This is obviously complicating matters even though their claims may be justified,” the sources said.