VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has made little or no progress on most key rule of law reforms recommended by the European Commission, according to the Commission’s 2026 Rule of Law Report.
The report found no progress on three of seven recommendations, limited progress on another three and some progress only on reforms to the governance of public service broadcasting, which have yet to be fully implemented.
The Commission said Malta continues to lag in tackling high-level corruption, improving court efficiency, strengthening media freedom and implementing institutional reforms.
It noted that while the Police and the Office of the Attorney General received additional resources and launched new investigations, Malta has failed to establish a strong record of final judgments in high-level corruption cases.
Malta also scored 49 out of 100 in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index, placing it among six EU countries below the 50-point mark.
The report highlighted no progress on reforming the appointment of the Chief Justice, establishing a National Human Rights Institution in line with UN Paris Principles, strengthening lobbying rules and updating asset declaration rules for MPs and ministers.
Limited progress was recorded on improving protections for journalists, access to official documents and public consultation before legislation is enacted.
The Commission welcomed reforms to media ownership transparency, state advertising rules and safeguards for the appointment of the PBS chief executive, but said further implementation is required.
It also raised concerns over weak conflict-of-interest verification mechanisms in public administration and frequent legislative changes affecting legal certainty for businesses.
– Photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
