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Background

Way back in 1996, the Malta Standardisation Authority Act (Cap. 187) established an authority to co-ordinate standardisation and other related activities in Malta. The legislation regulating the Malta Standards Authority was re-enacted by Parliament on 18 July 2000 (Cap. 419), primarily to establish the voluntary nature of a standard as distinguished from a mandatory technical regulation. Furthermore, this new act established the principle of functionally independent Directorates operating under the MSA’s umbrella. The Malta Standards Authority (Establishment of Directorates) Order - LN 213/00 issued by virtue of Cap. 419 - provides for the functional separation of the various roles of the Standardization Directorate, the Foodstuffs, Chemicals and Cosmetics Directorate and the Consumer and Industrial Goods Directorate, thus ensuring their independence. The Order also provides for the co-ordination of the Directorates with the central administration and management committee without affecting their technical and financial independence.

The Consumer and Industrial Goods Directorate

The Directorate for Consumer and Industrial Goods is the technical advisory arm of the Ministry for Competitiveness and Communications (MCMP), as well as to other Government entities, for all matters related to the free movement and safety of products under its remit. After 1st May 2004, the CIGD continued to support and even intensified its efforts towards achieving those common regulatory requirements for products put on the Maltese and European market, thus ensuring that goods can be traded freely. MCMP’s and, consequently, MSA’s declared policy for this regulatory Directorate is to enhance its technical capabilities in order to be able to effectively negotiate technical regulations at European level and implement them into Maltese law; at the same time:

1. offering a comprehensive range of guidance material on the EU Directives and corresponding Maltese Regulations;
2. improving and enforcing the regulatory framework for commercial activity; and
3. removing unnecessary burdens on business.

To achieve these aims, the following roles were (and will continue to be) fulfilled by the CIGD:

1. discharging its general responsibility for the removal of barriers to trade by assisting the Maltese central contact point for the EC notification system for the provision of information on technical regulations.
2. coordinating Malta’s input to the EU agreements with 3rd countries on third-party testing and certification.
3. CIGD also co-ordinates Malta’s views and provides advice to colleagues in Government and business on horizontal issues relating to product directives and standards. Consultation is carried out through the Expert Groups and other manufacturers’/producers’ associations, etc.
4. supporting the conformity assessment infrastructure by encouraging the use of “accreditation” tools.
5. CIGD plays an active part and works with the European Commission and other Member States to secure internationally recognized confidence in Maltese providers of testing, certification and inspection services. It plays a part in stimulating continuous improvement in the quality of Maltese companies through the promotion of ISO 9000 and product certification as part of an overall business excellence model.
6. responsibility for specific technical regulations in the electrical, telecommunications, gas, mechanical and process engineering sectors; and also
7. responsibility for consumer safety in electrical, telecommunications and gas appliances and ALL “New Approach” and “Old Approach” Directives under its remit.
8. Negotiation of most of these has been completed, but work continues on the introduction of Maltese implementing regulations, as well as the continuous update and administration of those regulations. The CIGD nominates and monitors organisations notified to the Commission for the provision of certification, testing and inspection services required under the directives.