Malta: Consumer Protection

The European Union's Package Travel Directive, in force since 2018, has undergone significant revision following systemic failures exposed by the Thomas Cook collapse and COVID-19 pandemic. The amended framework introduces strengthened refund mechanisms, harmonised voucher rules, enhanced insolvency protection, and clearer cancellation rights to address gaps that left millions of travelers vulnerable during major disruptions.

Recent Maltese Arbiter decisions against Crypto.com reveal that EU Travel Rule compliance is evolving beyond anti-money laundering enforcement into a consumer-protection standard that can trigger civil liability for crypto-asset service providers.

Malta's iGaming regulatory framework faces scrutiny as industry experts examine whether its first-mover advantage can withstand growing competition from emerging jurisdictions. The discussion explores how regulatory agility, professional services infrastructure, and strategic policy reforms like the Recognition Notice framework and revised VAT treatment position Malta to maintain its leadership in the global online gambling sector.

Advancements in the world of fintech have fundamentally reshaped consumer behaviour through the rise of flexible payment methods, driven by surging technological developments.

On the 3rd of October 2025, Legal Notice 216 of 2025 was published in the Government Gazette with the aim of transposing Article...

There were several important legislative changes which were published over the course of November 2025. Below is an overview of the key updates across different areas.

The Court of Justice of the European Union's landmark Wunner decision fundamentally reshapes director liability across the EU by permitting personal lawsuits against directors of companies operating cross-border, even when they hold valid licenses in their home jurisdiction. Can directors of Maltese companies still rely on separate legal personality protections when serving consumers across multiple Member States, or has the corporate veil been effectively pierced by this controversial judgment?

Advancements in the world of fintech have fundamentally reshaped consumer behaviour through the rise of flexible payment methods, driven by surging technological developments.

The case originated from a 1988 preliminary sale agreement containing a penalty clause allowing the vendor to retain an advance payment of approximately €72,870 if the purchasers failed to conclude the final contract