Government moves to bring citizenship law in line with EU judgment
Bill presented in Parliament after court rules Malta’s Golden Passport scheme violates EU law
A bill has been tabled in Parliament to bring Malta’s citizenship laws in line with European Union legislation, following a European Court of Justice ruling that the country’s investor citizenship scheme, known as the ‘golden passports’ programme, breaches EU law.
Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri presented the bill for its first reading on Monday.
A spokesperson for the ministry said the move “marks the first step in amending legislation to comply with the European Court’s judgment in Case C-181/23, Commission v. Malta.”
The full details of the proposed amendments have not yet been made public, in line with standard procedure for first readings in Parliament.
In April, the EU’s top court found that Malta’s golden passports scheme, which allows wealthy foreign nationals to acquire citizenship in exchange for substantial investments, violated EU law. The court ruled that the 2020 version of the scheme amounted to the commercialisation of EU citizenship and undermined the principle of sincere cooperation between member states.
Applicants were required to contribute between €600,000 and €750,000 to the national development fund, in addition to investing in property and making donations.
The court’s decision is legally binding, and failure to comply could result in infringement proceedings and potential fines for Malta.
The government has said it will honour the ruling by updating its laws accordingly, but stressed that individuals who had already acquired citizenship under the scheme would not be affected.
According to the latest figures from the regulator, over 5,000 individuals and their dependents were granted Maltese citizenship under the scheme since its launch in 2014.