The European Union delegation to the Maldives has responded to the controversy created due to a report published on EP Today earlier this week.

EP Today, European Parliament's monthly news magazine, reported that the EU’s proposed sanctions list for Maldives contains a total of 41 names.

While some changes have been brought to the article since, MEP Thomas Zdechovsky, the Rapporteur of the European Parliament Resolution on the Maldives, maintains that they have such a list.

In a statement released on Thursday, the delegation noted that EU’s stance on the Maldives situation has not changed since February this year.

“The European Union’s position regarding the situation in Maldives was defined jointly by all 28 Member States through the Council Conclusions adopted in February, which have been followed by the framework for targeted restrictive measures adopted in July,” reads the statement, adding that “any follow-up decisions in this light are the prerogative of the Council of the European Union and have so far not been taken”.

Noting that it continues to monitor the situation closely ahead of September’s polls, EU highlighted the ‘prevailing allegations and decisions that may negatively affect voter confidence’ and added that ‘it is crucial that the pre-electoral environment is transparent and conducive for credible and inclusive elections’.

In addition, the statement confirmed that Members of the European Parliament Tomas Zdechovsky, Maria Gabriela Zoana, and Ryzsard Czarnecki, along with the former President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Henri Malosse and EESC Member Madi Sharma, had visited the Maldives this year,

However, it noted that the trip was ‘in the private - not official – capacity’.

According to EP Today, the MEPs had ‘forfeited’ their vacation to travel to the Maldives ‘in order to show their support for the Maldivian people, and to witness first-hand, the country’s slide into authoritarianism’.

The Maldivian government also denies there being such a list, with its ambassador to the EU accusing the MEPs of spreading lies to create fear and influence votes.