Maltese Banks Pass ECB Test

The European Commission has published new delegated regulations amending the EU prospectus disclosure regime, introducing streamlined content requirements and standardized formats for various categories of prospectuses. These reforms, part of the broader EU Listing Act package, aim to reduce regulatory burdens for issuers while maintaining investor protection, with key changes including reduced historical financial information requirements and simplified disclosure obligations.

The European Union's Sixth Capital Requirements Directive introduces a groundbreaking EU-wide framework requiring third-country credit institutions to establish authorised branches when providing core banking services within the EU. This new regime, effective January 2027, replaces the previous patchwork of national rules with harmonised supervisory standards, though several exemptions and transitional protections apply to existing arrangements.

On the 15th of June 2026, the European Commission published Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1291 introducing a revised set of implementing technical standards under the Market Abuse Regulation...

New measures on the provision of contracts for differences (‘CFDs') and binary options to retail investors have been formally adopted by the European Securities and Markets Authority (‘ESMA') ...

Malta has emerged as a leading jurisdiction for Electronic Money Institutions and Payment Service Providers seeking EU market access. With a responsive regulator, efficient licensing timelines, full EU passporting rights...

Capital Markets are often surrounded by misconceptions and technical jargon, yet they play a central role in how businesses grow and economies develop.

With AIFMD II now transposed into Maltese law, fund promoters, asset managers and family offices have access to new regulatory pathways for establishing loan origination and private credit vehicles in Malta. The revised framework expressly permits corporate lending by Alternative Investment Funds, while the updated NAIF regime brings loan origination within scope, opening doors to EU-wide distribution through the AIFMD marketing passport.

WH Partners examines Malta's comprehensive regulatory framework for digital assets, detailing licensing requirements, compliance obligations, and the jurisdiction's alignment with EU MiCA regulations. The analysis covers critical operational considerations for businesses in the digital asset space, from AML/CFT requirements to emerging trends in tokenisation and decentralised finance.

The latest article by Managing Partner Dr. Ann Fenech was published in the 2017 edition of Euromoney's Expert Guides – International Trade and Shipping. Article can be viewed by clicking here.

Malta has established itself as a leading EU jurisdiction for financial services, thanks to its robust regulatory framework overseen by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA).

Malta has published Legal Notice 238 of 2026, establishing the national regulatory framework for the EU's Cyber Resilience Act and designating the Malta Digital Innovation Authority as the central enforcement body. With vulnerability reporting obligations already in effect since September 11, 2026, manufacturers of digital products must now navigate new compliance requirements ahead of the regulation's full application in December 2027.

Malta's citizenship-by-investment programme has raised over €1 billion in capital since its launch about 18 months ago and it is the world's most successful programme of its kind, Henley and Partners, the main operator of the programme said today.

The EU's proposed third Payment Services Directive ("PSD3"), together with the accompanying Payment Services Regulation ("PSR"), represents a fundamental shift in the legal architecture governing fraud liability in payment...

Malta has been ranked as the seventh safest small country in the world and 15th overall in a new study by US data analysis firm Value Penguin.

Fitch Ratings has affirmed Malta’s Long-term foreign and local currency Issuer Default Rating at ‘A’. The outlooks is stable.

In a January 2013 decision, the ECJ held that the exit tax on unrealized gains on companies and entities redomiciling from the Netherlands is in breach of the freedom of establishment.

Maltese legal practice employs three distinct instruments—legal letters, judicial letters, and sworn judicial letters under Article 166A—each serving different purposes and producing different legal effects. Understanding when to use each instrument requires careful assessment of the claim's nature, value, and whether formal court proceedings or executive enforcement is necessary. The choice between these tools can determine whether a creditor obtains an executive title without litigation or mus

A merchant vessel both at the time that is being registered as a Maltese ship and during the period of its registration under the Malta flag must be classed with a classification society...

A report by Fenech Farrugia Fiott Legal providing expert analysis on key areas of Maltese law, practice and regulation in the booming real estate segment of the island's economy appears...

The Employment and Industrial Relations Act and Regulations enacted under the auspices of the Act...