A number of regulations related to the long-awaited liberalisation of the fuel market – including the importation and internal distribution of petrol, diesel, LRP and gas – are being prepared and are to be published by the end of September, the government said yesterday.

Publication of the regulations will mark the effective opening of the market, and will follow the debate of a Bill amending the Malta Resources Authority Act to pave the way for the market’s liberalisation.

The government said that the Bill has already been discussed by Parliament over several sittings and is expected to become law “in the next few weeks”. The Bill was first published on 8 June.

In a statement issued yesterday, in reply to a second warning by the European Commission on the issue, the government explained it “believes that for liberalisation to be successful and advantageous for Maltese citizens, it cannot take place in a regulatory vacuum. Once the necessary legal framework is in place, petroleum products will start to be traded in line with the EU Treaty.”

Last week the EC gave the government two months to remove Enemalta’s monopoly on the importation, storage and wholesale trade of petroleum products, and was warned that failure to comply within the timeframe will result in Malta being brought before the European Courts of Justice.

As part of its EU Accession Treaty, Malta is obliged to ensure that petroleum products can be traded through a licensing system by 1 January 2006. Discussions to thrash out details of a way forward between the Malta Resources Authority and the private sector, particularly with the Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises (GRTU), have, however, been continually hampered.

Malta had been obliged to have a licensing system up and running by 1 January 2006 and received its first warning in October 2006, followed by last week’s second warning.