Horst WickinghoffThe European Commission released the 28th edition of the Single Market Scoreboard on 17 July 2014, and Malta has once again secured one of the top spots regarding regulatory compliance.
For the second consecutive time, Malta has been recognised for its outstanding performance in transposing EU directives into national law, ranking second overall among all Member States. In fact, the country's performance is nearly flawless, missing a perfect score by just two directives.
Understanding the Scoreboard
The Scoreboard tracks how effectively Member States implement EU legislation. It calculates the "transposition deficit"—essentially the gap between the laws the EU requires and what countries have actually enacted. This specific report accounts for all Single Market directives due for implementation up to 30 April 2014.
Malta's Performance by the Numbers
Currently, Malta's transposition deficit stands at just 0.2%. This is significantly better than the EU average of 0.7% and sits well below the 1% target set for Member States.
The report also highlights Malta as the fastest country in the bloc when it comes to implementation. The average time taken to transpose directives has dropped dramatically from 19.2 months to just 3.6 months—an improvement of over 15 months.
Another key indicator of a healthy legal framework is the number of infringement proceedings (violations of EU rules). Malta ranks second best in this category as well, with only 11 open cases.
Looking Ahead
Regarding the two outstanding directives mentioned in the report, it is worth noting that one was already implemented in June of last year, while the second is currently in the final stages of the process.
This report reaffirms Malta's commitment to the European Single Market. It highlights the country's drive to create an optimal environment for consumers and businesses alike, leveraging direct access to 27 other Member States and a vast market of over 500 million people.
