Insights

Payments Insights #6 – EU Legislative Drafting Status of PSD3 and PSR Banking & FinanceFinTech

Payments Insights #6 – EU Legislative Drafting Status of PSD3 and PSR

When the Second Payment Services Directive ('PSD2') replaced the First Payment Services Directive, the EU had solidified the regulatory architecture governing payment services across the single market; and this has served the ecosystem well for the past decade. On 18th May 2026, the Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs wrote to the EU Council Presidency to confirm that if the EU Council transmits its position on the Third Payment Services Directive (“Proposed PSD3”) and the Payment Services Regulation (“Proposed PSR”) in its current form, the Committee will recommend adoption at second reading without amendment. The…
Mario Mizzi
27th May 2026
AI & Funds #7 – Applicability of EU AI Act Investment Services & Funds

AI & Funds #7 – Applicability of EU AI Act

This seventh instalment in the AI & Funds series revisits the six previous briefings issued when the law was still in draft and provides a comparative legal analysis of how the EU framework on artificial intelligence, ultimately promulgated as Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (the "AI Act"), has settled in relation to investment funds. The AI Act has a staggered application schedule that culminates in August 2027. Article 50 of the AI Act on transparency is the section most likely to be relevant to investment funds in practice; and this becomes applicable in August 2026. The following six sections examine each prior…
Mario Mizzi
25th May 2026
Malta’s WRO Reform Explained: Key Questions on Updated Conditions of Work Employment and Industrial Relations

Malta’s WRO Reform Explained: Key Questions on Updated Conditions of Work

Malta’s reform of Wage Regulation Orders (WROs) marks a significant step towards modernising sector-specific employment rules. Now redesignated as Conditions of Work Regulation Orders, the reform aims to simplify existing frameworks, align entitlements across sectors, and provide greater clarity for both employers and employees. Below, we address the key questions arising from the reform, focusing on its purpose, core principles, and the main changes introduced. Background and Purpose Q: What is a Conditions of Work Regulation Order? A: A Conditions of Work Regulation Order is a set of legal rules that provides the minimum conditions of work which must apply…
Christine Calleja and Jake Buttigieg
21st May 2026
Fintech Insights #12 – MiCA & Prevention of Market Abuse FinTechInvestment Services & Funds

Fintech Insights #12 – MiCA & Prevention of Market Abuse

One of the aims of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (“MiCA”) is to bring stability to digital asset markets by ensuring that market abuse is prevented before it can even occur. In Malta, the MFSA enforces these standards through the powers given to it under Chapter 647 together with second-level measures, including European Commission Delegated Regulations and ESMA Regulatory Technical Standards. The rules on market abuse in MiCA closely correspond to those of the EU’s Market Abuse Regulation (“MAR”). For crypto-asset service providers (“CASPs”) the task is clear: prevent abuse and protect market stability with firm governance, disciplined disclosure, and surveillance that…
Mario Mizzi
20th May 2026
Statue of scale of justice with background of lawyer
What happens to Court Cases once a Company is ordered into Liquidation? Corporate and M&ALitigation & Dispute Resolution

What happens to Court Cases once a Company is ordered into Liquidation?

This article is part of a series exploring court actions available under the Companies Act (Chapter 386 of the Laws of Malta). Each article gives a practical overview of a specific legal remedy or procedure involving court supervision; outlining when it applies, the steps required, and the purpose behind it. It is intended as a useful reference point rather than an in-depth academic analysis. Once a company is officially placed into liquidation by a court order, any ongoing court cases involving the company, whether filed by it or against it, may no longer proceed in the usual way. Under the…
Kristen Camilleri and Jonathan Abela Fiorentino
13th May 2026
A Year in Review: Registration Reforms and Digitalisation Shipping, Yachting and Transport

A Year in Review: Registration Reforms and Digitalisation

By virtue of Act I of 2025, significant amendments were introduced to Merchant Shipping Act (MSA) Chapter 234 of the Laws of Malta (‘The Amendments’), reflecting Malta’s continued efforts to modernise its maritime legal framework and align itself with evolving international standards. As these amendments reach their first anniversary, this three-part series undertakes a review of the principal reforms introduced. The first part analyses the Finance Charter Instrument, the second part focuses on the Protection of Seafarers and the third part addresses the Merchant Shipping Act Amendments. As part of our year in review of the Amendments, Part III concludes…
Nicholas Valenzia and Ella Vella Cardona
7th May 2026