VALLETTA, April 28, 2026 — The Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority has reported reviewing 18 mergers and concluding four competition investigations in 2025, as part of its broader oversight of Maltese markets, according to its latest annual report.
The report, presented to the Parliamentary Secretary for Social Dialogue and Accommodation, highlights the authority’s work across competition enforcement, consumer protection, product safety and market regulation during the past year.
Competition and market oversight
According to the MCCAA, its activities in 2025 focused on ensuring businesses compete fairly and consumers benefit from competitive markets. Alongside merger reviews and investigations, the authority marked 30 years of competition enforcement in Malta, underscoring its role in protecting market integrity.
The regulator said its work supports fair trading practices and strengthens confidence in the country’s economic framework.
Inspections and compliance
The annual report also outlines a broad range of enforcement and monitoring activities carried out throughout the year.
Among the key figures:
- 20,526 inspections conducted across markets, with a 1.47% non-compliance rate
- 10,000+ product safety and market surveillance checks
- 87 website reviews, 239 influencer checks, and 4,158 e-surveillance inspections targeting the digital marketplace
The authority said these efforts reflect growing attention to online commerce and digital market practices.
Consumer protection efforts
In addition to competition oversight, the MCCAA handled 1,556 consumer complaints and 8,539 enquiries in 2025.
It also secured refunds and compensation in disputes, including:
- €62,752 refunded to air passengers benefiting 338 consumers
- €69,050 awarded through 50 tribunal decisions
Standards and quality infrastructure
The report highlights the authority’s role in maintaining Malta’s technical and regulatory infrastructure, including 46,664 laboratory tests, 2,061 adopted standards, and 531 calibrations to ensure product quality and measurement accuracy.
The MCCAA also reported 2,035 inspections of precious metals, resulting in 33 enforcement actions.
Growing demand for regulatory services
The authority noted a 26% increase in demand for laboratory services, reflecting expanding needs from both industry and public bodies.
According to the MCCAA, the results demonstrate how regulatory oversight contributes to safer products, stronger competition and greater consumer confidence in Malta’s marketplace.
Source: https://mccaa.org.mt/Section/Content?contentId=14113
