The Consumer and Competition Division of

the Competitiveness and Communications Ministry has launched a public consultation process on proposed amendments to the Competition Act (Cap 379).

The proposed amendments complement the concurrency amendments suggested earlier this year by the Consumer and Competition Division in conjunction with the Malta Communications Authority regarding the extension of the latter’s jurisdiction to enforce Competition Law in the communications sector.

The proposed amendments to the Competition Act are intended to address certain deficiencies in the current enforcement system which have become evident in the course of the Office for Fair Competition’s experience in investigating and deciding upon potential infringements of competition law. The proposed changes to the current enforcement system in particular include:

• a shift from the present criminal fining system to one of administrative fines;

• clarifying and improving the procedure for investigating competition law infringements; and

• simplifying the decision-making process by entrusting decision-making powers to a single body, the Office for Fair Competition, while introducing a full right of appeal from any such decision to the Commission for Fair Trading.

The purpose of this current consultation process is to seek submissions from interested parties on the bill as proposed, which may be accessed at: http://www.mcmp.gov.mt/consultations.asp

Submissions are to be made in written or electronic form by not later than Friday, 10 August, and are to be addressed to Dr Andria Buhagiar, Consumer and Competition Division, Office for Fair Trading, Cannon Road, St Venera CMR 02,

or via email to: [email protected].