Insights

COVID19 Measures Employment and Industrial Relations Legal Updates

Government Issues an Updated Wage Supplement Scheme

On Monday 8th June 2020, the Maltese Government announced another financial aid package aimed at economic regeneration. Amongst the numerous measures put in place to assist businesses in recovering from the impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government announced an updated Wage Supplement Scheme which is to take effect from July 2020 up until September 2020.In terms of the said updated Wage Supplement Scheme, those businesses which operate in the areas of tourist accommodation, air transport, event organization, travel agencies and language schools will remain eligible to benefit from an entitlement of €800 for each worker employed on a…

MamoTCV Advocates15th June 2020

COVID19 Measures Intellectual Property

IP Hurdles in the Race for a Covid-19 Vaccine?

Perhaps the most common complaint about modern legal systems is that they stifle justice for want of simplicity. Lately, however, it seems that what most people had simply regarded as a disappointing (some might say necessary) feature of the law, has become a real and immediate danger. After all, every day wasted on regulatory bureaucracy in the pursuit of a globally available vaccine represents thousands more human lives lost to the disease. Now it is not merely justice that the legal system may stifle, but the availability of treatments for a deadly global pandemic.One of the first commitments the United…

Jonathan Tonna12th June 2020

Antitrust, Competition and Trade

Concentration Notification First – Office for Competition Issues Phase II Decision

This article was written by Dr Annalies Muscat and Dr Laura SpiteriIn what is a first for the Office for Competition (the 'Office'), the national competent authority to receive inter alia concentration notifications, a joint venture has been approved following a Phase II investigation. On the 5 June 2020, the Office published its decision on the full-function joint venture between Retail Marketing Limited and Co-op Trading Company Limited, Polrem Limited, S. Borg & Sons Limited, Tower Supermarkets Complex Limited, Valyou Pendergardens Operations Ltd., Belleview Supermarkets Co. Ltd. and Valyou Supermarket Limited. The proposed joint venture was first notified to the…

Annalies Muscat12th June 2020

Immigration

Malta’s Individual Investor Programme Update

Malta Individual Investor Programme is reaching its cap.The Malta Individual Investor Programme Agency (MIIPA) will continue accepting applications for citizenship under the current Malta Individual Investor Programme Regulations until the 30th of September, 2020. Complete applications for residence will continue to be accepted up until the 31st of July, 2020.Those individuals who shall or may obtain, or have already obtained, a Maltese residence card, but do not manage to submit a citizenship application by the 30th of September, 2020, shall have their application considered under the new regulations, which the Maltese Government is still in the process of considering, and…

MamoTCV8th June 2020

COVID19 Measures

COVID-19 Temporary Work Benefits Issued by the Ministry for Family, Children’s Rights and Social Solidarity to Stop

In a Press Release issued on 4th June 2020, the Ministry for Family, Children's Rights and Social Solidarity stated that the temporary benefit granted to parents who stopped working to stay home and take care of their children, together with the additional temporary benefit granted to those persons who lost their employment due to COVID 19 will stop on Friday 3rd July 2020. Additionally, the temporary benefit granted to those individuals with disabilities and medical conditions who had to stay at home due to their vulnerability and could not work from home will stop with effect from 5th June 2020. The Ministry…

MamoTCV Advocates8th June 2020

COVID19 Measures

Health Authorities Issue Guidance Document for Offices and Workspaces

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry for Health have issued a guidance document for offices and workspaces. The document contains measures which should be followed by employers in order to keep employees safe at the workplace and limit the spread of COVID-19. These guidelines have been issued following the Government's announcement that most workplaces are to be re-opened and that individuals should return to work, including vulnerable persons. In fact, by means of Legal Notice 232 of 2020 published on the 3rd June 2020, the Protection of Vulnerable Persons Order (together with a number of other Orders) has…

MamoTCV Advocates4th June 2020