Update 8.20 p.m.

The European Commission will not go into the workings of the citizenship scheme although at a later stage it might ask for clarifications due to budgetary concerns, according to EU Commissioner Tonio Borg.

Answering questions during a Citizens Dialogue held as part of the European Year of Citizens at the Hotel Phoenicia in Floriana, Dr Borg made it clear that as a commissioner he would not be drawn into the merits of a scheme being proposed by a sovereign country, “even if that citizenship will at the end of the day give European Union rights,” he said.

The only area where the Commission could be involved, he said, was when it came to the budget. “The fact that till now the EU has not pressed the alarm button on the scheme means that there is nothing which is alarming from the budget point of view. But questions might follow at a later stage, for more clarifications.”

The event formed part of a series of dialogue with the citizens as part of the 2013 European year for the citizens.