Updated 1200
Newcastle Disease Restrictions Lifted after Clean Bill of Health for Malta’s Poultry: All restrictions imposed due to the Newcastle disease outbreak in Malta and Gozo have been lifted, the Agriculture Ministry announced, after weeks of surveillance confirmed no new cases. The outbreak had prompted bans on bird sales, exhibitions, pigeon racing, and bird movement. Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo credited strict containment measures and veterinary inspections for successfully halting the spread. Although the virus poses little risk to humans, it is highly contagious among birds and can severely impact poultry farms. As a precaution, vaccination of all egg-laying and broiler chickens remains mandatory, and inspections will continue. Refalo thanked veterinary officials and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting animal health and preventing future outbreaks.
NAO report evaluates business burdens: The National Audit Office (NAO) presented a report on the Inspection Coordination Office (ICO), evaluating its effectiveness in reducing regulatory burdens on businesses. The ICO aims to streamline inspections by consolidating efforts through Primary Inspectorates (PIs), which gather data for both themselves and Secondary Inspectorates (SIs). However, coordinated inspections accounted for just 3% of total inspections since 2020, falling short of intended goals. The NAO found that the ICO focused more on tools like checklists than on broader coordination, such as inspection scheduling. The burden mainly falls on PIs, with limited benefits for SIs, and inspections are less thorough. The NAO raised concerns about the fairness and robustness of the High Standard of Compliance certificate and called for system redesign.
Morning Briefing
Bill targets Cyberstalking and Cyberbullying
MPs have started debating a Bill to make cyberstalking and cyberbullying specific offences under the Criminal Code. Introduced by Social Welfare Minister Michael Falzon, the proposed law targets harmful online behaviour intended to cause physical or mental harm. Offenders found guilty of stalking, unauthorised computer access, or tracing someone’s online activity could face one to five years in prison and/or fines of up to €30,000. The same penalties apply to cyberbullying involving threats, intimidation, or abusive behaviour via electronic devices. Harsher punishment is proposed for cases involving minors, vulnerable individuals, or group offenders. However, it will be a defence if the accused can prove their actions were lawful and carried out without malicious intent, particularly in the context of legitimate business or public discourse. (Times of Malta)
EU Report flags gaps in Political Integrity
The European Commission’s latest Rule of Law Report has found that action is still needed to improve integrity measures for high-level politicians and officials in Malta. Now in its sixth edition, the report reviews rule of law developments across all EU Member States, with individual country chapters. In the Malta chapter’s anti-corruption section, the Commission notes that current conflict-of-interest rules do not apply to Members of Parliament. It highlights that, following a recommendation by the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life, two ministers were warned by the Parliamentary Standards Committee for abuse of power. However, stakeholders remain critical of the integrity framework and the limited sanctions in place. MPs, including ministers and parliamentary secretaries, are required to submit annual declarations of assets and interests to the Speaker. (The Malta Independent)
Several areas experience power cuts
Several areas across Malta experienced power cuts on Monday and Tuesday, with some outages lasting up to three hours. Enemalta reported that six separate cable faults affected multiple substations, causing disruptions in various localities. Despite the widespread outages, the energy company said that 64% of affected customers had their electricity restored within an hour. In certain areas, such as Paola, Żabbar and Żejtun, power returned within five minutes, while other locations like Birkirkara and Balzan saw supply restored after around 20 minutes. In the hardest-hit zones, generators were temporarily deployed to ensure supply during emergency repairs. Reacting to the situation, the Nationalist Party said Malta had once again turned into a “land of generators”, with residents forced to read by candlelight as summer begins. (Maltatoday)
