Prime Minister Robert Abela on Monday defended a legal amendment to Malta's iGaming legislation which had drawn criticism from Austria and Germany.
Speaking to journalists in Vienna following a bilateral meeting with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Abela said Malta's priority in the sector remained the integrity and strength of the Maltese jurisdiction.
He noted that Malta had been a pioneer in the sector, drawing up a robust legal base, including in relation to remote gaming accessible to the single EU market.
He said that operators in Malta will continue to be safeguarded from baseless legal challenges and explained that the aim behind the amendment tabled in Parliament earlier this year was to protect, in a restricted manner, all procedures that did not respect the free European market principle. The amendment, he said, did not preclude legal action in case of law breaches.
An Austrian law firm and a German lawyer had written to the European Commission in May accusing the Maltese government of undermining European rule of law through a Bill tabled in parliament to amend Malta’s gaming regulations.
They claimed the Maltese government was trying to fast-track the legal changes, which would prevent Maltese courts from enforcing sentences handed down against Maltese gaming companies in foreign jurisdictions.
The two leaders also discussed the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East with Abela stressing the need for more dialogue in view of the current global challenges in Europe and the Mediterranean.
Referring to the neutrality position of both Malta and Austria, he remarked that this did not mean that the countries could not take a position to push for peace. He reiterated his appeal for a permanent halt to fighting.
The two sides also discussed the pharmaceutical industry with Abela saying that Malta looked ahead towards greater cooperation, including through information exchange between medicine regulators in Malta and in Austria for additional quality, security and efficiency in the distribution of medicinal products.
The two leaders discussed the strategic importance of the Mediterranean, especially in view of issues related to migration and the EU’s collective responsibility to prevent arrivals and to obtain results in relations with North African countries such as Libya and Tunisia. They also discussed EU enlargement.