Joseph Muscat's reaction to a critical European Parliament rule of law report was disrespectful, a German MEP has charged.

The European Parliament report on Malta released last week called on politicians perceived to be implicated in serious acts of corruption and money laundering linked to the Panama Papers and FIAU reports to be removed from public office and swiftly investigated.

Last Friday, the prime minister said that the MEPs who drafted the damning report about Malta had already decided what they were going to say before they even landed on the island.

Read: 'We take our decisions': Muscat dismisses MEP calls for dismissals

In a statement on Tuesday, German MEP Sven Giegold, financial and economic policy spokesperson of the Greens/EFA group said he found Dr Muscat's reaction unacceptable:

"The reaction of the prime minister to our common rule of law report was disrespectful. The report has the support of all members of the parliament's mission including the Social Democrats. Many of our findings go beyond the parliament's plenary resolution including on the role of the police, corruption and possible doubtful influence of elections. It deserves serious consequences and a debate in the European institutions as well as Malta."

The European Parliament will now discuss the findings of the report in the LIBE committee on January 25. The report will also be sent officially to the European Central Bank to trigger further supervisory investigations.

"The members of the delegation will continue their work that a deterioration of the rule of law in Malta is not accepted," Mr Giegold said.