DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland, current president of the European Union, has issued a postage stamp which appears to confuse new EU member Cyprus with Crete.

The stamp shows a map of the enlarged EU with the old members in blue and the new states in yellow. [Cyprus is positioned just where Crete should be, and has exactly the same shape as the Greek island.]

“The shape is closer to that of Crete than Cyprus, although, to be fair, the designer does seem to have taken some artistic license with the other countries too,” said Peter Geoffrey, a Dublin philatelist. “I suppose it might be a little insulting if you were from either Crete or Cyprus.”

The Irish Post Office insisted yesterday there had been no mistake but conceded the designers shifted Cyprus to fit it in. “I know some people are saying it looks like Crete but it’s not,” a spokeswoman said. “It’s quite definitely Cyprus.”