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Malta - internal market

Short-term priorities:

  • adopt a new Patents Act in line with the European Patent Convention and the EC Regulations creating a supplementary protection certificate for medicinal products and for plant protection products;
  • company law: continue alignment, in particular transpose the 11th Directive;
  • data protection: adopt national legislation in accordance with EU directives;
  • free movement of goods: the abolition of levies on imports from the European Union;
  • free movement of goods: eliminate levies on imports from the EU;
  • align civil and consumer policy legislation with the product liability directive by providing rules on the manufacturer's strict liability;
  • adopt a precise calendar for achieving free movement of capital, starting by dismantling restrictions on long-term inward and outward capital flows;
  • adopt a merger law;
  • ensure application of competition rules to public undertakings with special or exclusive rights;
  • adopt a State aid law and set up a State aid monitoring authority;
  • complete State aid inventory and annual State aid reports;
  • telecommunications: establish independent national regulatory authority;
  • audiovisual: complete alignment of legislation;
  • continue transposition and establish timetable for full legislative alignment of VAT and excise duties legislation;
  • ensure that new tax measures comply with the principles of the code of conduct for business taxation;
  • customs: design a timetable for harmonisation of legislation;
  • adopt the Combined Nomenclature and harmonised rules of origin;
  • implement the Single Administrative Document;
  • reinforce institutional and administrative capacity in terms of computerisation.

Assessment (November 2001)

No progress has been made on data protection and company law. On the other hand, the priorities concerning the free movement of goods have progressed well. There are still some obstacles to the free movement of capital. The alignment of competition is progressing, as is the creation of an authority to supervise and monitor State aid. An independent authority has been set up in the telecommunications sector. Alignment has been almost completed for the audiovisual sector. The alignment of VAT and excise duties is progressing well. Further efforts are required with regard to customs, particularly on the Combined Nomenclature and rules of origin.

Assessment (November 2003)

Please refer to the fact sheets on the adoption of the Community acquis.

Medium-term priorities:

  • public procurement: continue alignment;
  • adapt the judicial review system to the requirements of the relevant directives;
  • data protection: establish independent supervisory authority;
  • ensure sufficient independence of standardisation, certification, accreditation and metrology bodies;
  • align national legislation in the field of pharmaceuticals with the acquis;
  • abolish remaining restrictions on inward and outward capital movements in order to achieve full liberalisation;
  • align banking rules on deposit guarantee schemes and consolidate supervision;
  • adjust legislation on payment systems;
  • complete alignment of legislation in the securities sector;
  • complete alignment of mutual recognition of diplomas;
  • reinforce the competition authorities;
  • ensure conformity of State aid system;
  • bring the telecommunications regulatory frameworks fully in line with the acquis;
  • full alignment of the tax acquis, including the Community's transitional VAT regime;
  • review existing laws and ensure compatibility with the code of conduct for business taxation;
  • consumer protection: continue alignment and strengthen market surveillance and enforcement authorities;
  • customs: complete alignment of legislation including customs procedures with an economic impact, free zones, customs warehouses, tariff quotas and ceilings, suspensions, counterfeited and pirated goods and a binding tariff information system;
  • reinforce the organisation, in particular to prepare for the operational management of all customs procedures with economic impact, the system of tariff suspensions and the administration of tariff quotas and ceilings;
  • continue fight against fraud and corruption.

Assessment (November 2001)

There has been no progress on public procurement. There has been progress on ensuring the independence of standardisation bodies, the mutual recognition of diplomas and the complete liberalisation of capital. Little progress has been made on the free movement of goods. The Maltese system of State aid is not in line with the acquis. However, administrative capacities both in this field and in the customs sector have been reinforced. The alignment of VAT, consumer protection and customs has progressed well.

Assessment (November 2003)

Please refer to the fact sheets on the adoption of the Community acquis.

Following the signing of the Accession Treaty on 16 April 2003, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia acceded to the European Union on 1 May 2004.

REFERENCES

Decision 2000/249/EC, 20.03.2000Official Journal L 78, 29.03.2000

Commission Report COM(2001) 700 final - SEC(2001) 1751Not published in the Official Journal

Commission Report COM(2003) 675 final - SEC(2003) 1206Not published in the Official Journal

Treaty of Accession to the European Union [Official Journal L 236, 23.09.2003]

Last updated: 19.11.2004

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