#52026XG01942Malta Government Notice on EU Directive 94/22/EC: Conditions for Hydrocarbon Prospection, Exploration and Production Authorisations

The Government of Malta has issued a formal notice reaffirming its implementation of EU Directive 94/22/EC, which governs the conditions under which authorisations are granted and used for the prospection, exploration, and production of hydrocarbons within EU member state territories, including offshore areas. Directive 94/22/EC establishes a non-discriminatory, transparent framework requiring member states to make authorisation procedures publicly available, ensure objective and published criteria are applied to all applicants, and prevent any single entity from holding exclusive or privileged access to hydrocarbon resources without open competition. Malta's notice signals its compliance obligations under the directive, ensuring that any entity seeking to prospect or extract hydrocarbons in Maltese territory or its exclusive economic zone must undergo an open, competitive authorisation process consistent with EU internal market rules. This notice is primarily administrative in nature, reaffirming existing regulatory alignment rather than introducing new legislative measures, but it serves as a public declaration of Malta's hydrocarbon licensing framework being open to qualified EU and international operators.

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