On January 15, 2026, the Office for Competition within the Malta
Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority launched a long-awaited
public consultation on proposed reforms to Malta's merger
control regime.
Merger control prevents harmful deals that could create
monopolies, suppress innovation and foreclose markets. Under
current rules, certain transactions, mostly acquisitions, mergers,
and joint ventures, must be notified and cleared by the Office
before they proceed.
Malta's economy has changed significantly since the law was
last touched in 2007 but the regime has remained largely unchanged
for nearly two decades. The proposed amendments introduce important
modernisations.
