The Spanish Foreign Affairs Ministry has formally informed the Maltese Foreign Ministry that by royal decree 1080/1991, Malta has been taken off the Spanish list of tax havens with effect from 16 September 2006, the date when the double taxation agreement between Malta and Spain came into effect.

The matter of a formal notification of Malta being taken off the Spanish tax haven list had been raised by Foreign Minister Michael Frendo at the meeting with his Spanish counterpart, Miguel Moratinos, at the ministry in Valletta a few weeks ago.

At that meeting Dr Frendo had also thanked the Spanish Foreign Minister for his assistance in accelerating the ratification process of the Malta-Spain Double Taxation Agreement through both Houses of the Spanish Parliament.