At the height of the COVID-19 international crisis, EUROPOL released a report titled ‘Pandemic Profiteering: how criminals exploit the COVID-19 crisis’. At a time when Member States of the European Union are predominantly preoccupied with measures aimed at stopping the spread of the virus and controlling a raging outbreak, EUROPOL’s report is a stark reminder […]
Malcolm Falzon to co-chair an INTERLAW webinar entitled Decrypting Crytpocurrencies. Click here for more information. The webinar will take place at 09.00HRS CET and again at 15.30HRS CET on Tuesday, March 31, 2020. Click on the link of your preferred slot to register.
In a circular issued on 27th March 2020[1], the Listing Authority provided welcome guidance to listed companies, investors and the financial market at large as to the interplay between financial reporting deadlines under the EU Transparency Directive[2] and the material uncertainties that listed companies are having to grapple with in the wake of the outbreak […]
Member States are able to introduce national state aid schemes that mitigate the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic by utilizing Articles 107(2)(b) and 107(3)(b) (particularly through the Temporary Framework adopted by the European Commission on 19 March 2020) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). Denmark was the first state […]
Following the global spread of COVID-19 public health concerns are having direct and significant impacts in the general economy. Radical actions have been and are further expected to be taken by national and local governments and authorities around the globe and the European Securities and Markets Authority (“ESMA”) is closely monitoring the situation in view […]
On the 24 March 2020, the Office for Competition (the “OC”) published a statement in conjunction with the European Commission and the Competition authorities across all Member states (the “ECN”) on the application of European competition rules during the present COVID-19 crisis. On competitior cooperation, it is recognised that, in the present circumstances, the competition […]
Businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic may further avail from a third set of Governmental economic measures which have been announced by Prime Minister Robert Abela yesterday evening. This third financial package is estimated to cost €70million per month and will apply retrospectively as from the 9th March 2020. The quantum of financial support granted […]
In an effort to ease business cash flow pressures and improving business liquidity amidst the COVID-19 instability, the Government of Malta has introduced specific economic measures to address the said difficulties faced by various businesses. These measures include a scheme which features the postponement of tax payments which are due by the end of March […]
Background In its circular published on the 20th March 2020, the Malta Financial Services Authority (“MFSA”) announced that reporting obligations in terms of the SFTR will be postponed to a later date as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was in response to the European Securities and Markets Authority (“ESMA”)’s public statement issued on […]
On 19 March 2020, the European Commission adopted a communication setting out a temporary framework for state aid measures which are intended to support the economy and maintain the integrity of the internal market of the European Union, which has been severely hit by the COVID-19 outbreak. While again referring to the measures which Member […]