On Thursday, 17 July, the European Commission announced that it had brought legal action against Malta in the Court of Justice of the EU for failing to fulfil its obligations under the EU Treaties in relation to its port workers regime—concerned that Malta’s legal framework governing port work contains a number of restrictions on accessing the profession.
The Maltese regime includes a quota and authorisation system for all port workers coupled with a preferential scheme for family members of those currently employed as port workers. Companies that wish to carry out port activities in Malta are required to employ workers registered in the ‘Port Workers Register’. In addition, if a worker retires, dies, or is laid off for medical reasons, the vacancy must be filled by first consulting the ‘Prospective Port Workers Register’, which consists exclusively of active workers’ relatives. This regime thus limits access to the profession to a very restricted circle of people.
Malta contested the position held by the European Commission, which sent [the Member State] a letter of formal notice in September 2022 and then a reasoned opinion in October 2024. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)