Chapter 610 – Wholesale Energy Market Integrity and Transparency (Enforcement Powers) Act
What is this act about?
Din il-liġi tistabbilixxi setgħat ta’ infurzar biex tiżgura l-integrità u t-trasparenza fis-suq tal-enerġija bl-ingrossa, kif meħtieġ mir-Regolament (UE) Nru 1227/2011. Hija tagħti s-setgħa lir-Regolatur biex jinvestiga u jinforza r-regoli kontra l-abbuż tas-suq.
Who it applies to: Kull persuna li twettaq jew li tidher li wettqet transazzjoni jew attività regolata jew ipprojbita mir-Regolament (UE) Nru 1227/2011; Kull persuna li tidher li għandha informazzjoni jew dokumentazzjoni rilevanti.
At a glance
- Country
- Malta
- Area of law
- Other legislation
- Articles
- 15
- Source
- legislation.mt
- Text retrieved
- Explanation updated
What does this act regulate?
- Il-projbizzjoni ta' negozjar minn ġewwa (insider trading) fis-swieq tal-enerġija bl-ingrossa.
- L-obbligu li tiġi ppubblikata informazzjoni interna.
- Il-projbizzjoni ta' manipulazzjoni tas-suq.
- Il-ġbir tad-data u r-reġistrazzjoni tal-parteċipanti fis-suq.
Who does this act apply to?
- Kull persuna li twettaq jew li tidher li wettqet transazzjoni jew attività regolata jew ipprojbita mir-Regolament (UE) Nru 1227/2011.
- Kull persuna li tidher li għandha informazzjoni jew dokumentazzjoni rilevanti.
What are the key points?
- Ir-Regolatur għandu s-setgħa li jitlob aċċess għal kwalunkwe dokumentazzjoni, inklużi rekords tat-telefon u tat-traffiku tad-data eżistenti.
- Ir-Regolatur jista' jitlob informazzjoni u assistenza minn kwalunkwe persuna, inklużi diretturi u maniġers, u jista' jsejjaħ persuni għal seduta.
- Ir-Regolatur jista' jaħtar spetturi biex jinvestigaw l-affarijiet ta' kwalunkwe persuna u jwettqu spezzjonijiet fuq il-post.
- L-ispetturi għandhom aċċess raġonevoli għall-postijiet tan-negozju, uffiċċji, dokumentazzjoni u informazzjoni oħra meħtieġa għall-investigazzjoni.
Other legislation
Legal text
Legal text
WHOLESALE ENERGY MARKET INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY (ENFORCEMENT POWERS)
CHAPTER 610
WHOLESALE ENERGY MARKET INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY (ENFORCEMENT POWERS) ACT AN ACT to establish enforcement powers as required by articles 13, 14 and 18 of Regulation (EU) No. 1227/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on wholesale energy market integrity and transparency.
7th April, 2020 ACT XVI of 2020.
Art. 1
The short title of this Act is the Wholesale Energy Market Integrity and Transparency (Enforcement Powers) Act.
Art. 2
In this Act, unless the content otherwise requires: "Agency" means the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators established by Regulation (EC) No. 713/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 establishing an Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators; "inside information" means information of a precise nature which has not been made public, which relates, directly or indirectly, to one or more wholesale energy products and which, if it were made public, would be likely to significantly affect the prices of those wholesale energy products.
For the purposes of this definition, "information" means: (a) information which is required to be made public in accordance with Regulations (EC) No. 714/2009 and (EC) No. 715/2009, including guidelines and network codes adopted pursuant to those Regulations; (b) information relating to the capacity and use of facilities for production, storage, consumption or transmission of electricity or natural gas or related to the capacity and use of LNG facilities, including planned or unplanned unavailability of these facilities; (c) information which is required to be disclosed in accordance with legal or regulatory provisions at Union or national level, market rules, and contracts or customs on the relevant wholesale energy market, in so far as this information is likely to have a significant effect on the prices of wholesale energy products; and (d) other information that a reasonable market participant would be likely to use as part of the basis of its Short title.
Interpretation.
WHOLESALE ENERGY MARKET INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY (ENFORCEMENT POWERS) decision to enter into a transaction relating to, or to issue an order to trade in, a wholesale energy product.
Information shall be deemed to be of a precise nature if it indicates a set of circumstances which exists or may reasonably be expected to come into existence, or an event which has occurred or may reasonably be expected to do so, and if it is specific enough to enable a conclusion to be drawn as to the possible effect of that set of circumstances or event on the prices of wholesale energy products; "market manipulation" means: (a) entering into any transaction or issuing any order to trade in wholesale energy products which: (i) gives, or is likely to give, false or misleading signals as to the supply of, demand for, or price of wholesale energy products; (ii) secures or attempts to secure, by a person, or persons acting in collaboration, the price of one or several wholesale energy products at an artificial level, unless the person who entered into the transaction or issued the order to trade establishes that his reasons for doing so are legitimate and that such transaction or order to trade conforms to accepted market practices on the wholesale energy market concerned; or (iii) employs or attempts to employ a fictitious device or any other form of deception or contrivance which gives, or is likely to give, false or misleading signals regarding the supply of, demand for, or price of wholesale energy products; or (b) disseminating information through the media, including the internet, or by any other means, which gives, or is likely to give, false or misleading signals as to the supply of, demand for, or price of wholesale energy products, including the dissemination of rumours and false or misleading news, where the disseminating person knew, or ought to have known, that the information was false or misleading.
When information is disseminated for the purposes of journalism or artistic expression, such dissemination of information shall be assessed taking into account the rules governing the freedom of the press and freedom of expression in other media, unless: (i) those persons derive, directly or indirectly, an advantage or profits from the WHOLESALE ENERGY MARKET INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY (ENFORCEMENT POWERS) dissemination of the information in question; or (ii) the disclosure or dissemination is made with the intention of misleading the market as to the supply of, demand for, or price of wholesale energy products; "Minister" means the Minister responsible for Energy; "person" means any natural or legal person; "Regulation (EU) No. 1227/2011" or "Remit Regulation" means Regulation (EU) No. 1227/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on wholesale energy market integrity and transparency; "Regulator" means the Regulator for Energy and Water Services established by article 3 of the Regulator for Energy and Water Services Act; "Remit Regulation requirement" means a requirement imposed by any of the following Articles of Regulation (EU) No. 1227/2011: (a) trading);
Article 3(1) and (5) (prohibition of insider (b) Article 4(1), (2) and (3) (obligation to publish inside information); (c) Article 5 (prohibition of market manipulation); (d) Article 8(1) and (5) (data collection); (e) Article 9(1), (4) and (5) (registration of market participants); (f) Article 15 (obligations of persons professionally arranging transactions); (g) Article 17 (professional secrecy); "Tribunal" means the Administrative Review Tribunal established by article 5 of the Administrative Justice Act.
Art. 3
The Regulator shall exercise the investigation and enforcement powers set out in this Act for the purpose of ensuring the application and implementation of Regulation (EU) No. 1227/2011 and in particular of Articles 3, 4, 5, 13 and 15 thereof.
Purpose.
Art. 4
WHOLESALE ENERGY MARKET INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY (ENFORCEMENT POWERS) have access to any documentation in any form whatsoever and to receive a copy of it and to demand the aforesaid documentation from any person, including: (a) any person who is or was carrying on, or who appears to be or to have been carrying on a transaction or activity regulated or prohibited by any of the provisions of Regulation (EU) No. 1227/2011; (b) any other person who appears to be in possession of relevant information or documentation; or (c) any persons who are successively involved in the transmission of orders or conduct of the operations concerned, as well as their principals.
In both of the cases mentioned in paragraphs (a) and (b), the person addressed shall comply with the request of the Regulator promptly by providing the Regulator with any documentation in his possession.
Art. 5
Power to demand information and assistance and to summon persons for hearing. (a) to furnish to the Regulator, at such time and place and in such form as he may specify, such information as he may require; (b) to furnish to the Regulator any information in the form of a written statement or any information verified in such manner as he may specify; (c) to attend before the Regulator, at such time and place as he may specify, to answer questions and provide information and documentation; and (d) to give the Regulator any assistance which he may require and which that person is reasonably able to give.
Art. 6
Provided that where the inspector has reasonable cause to believe that if any notice as is referred to in articles 4 or 5 were served it would not be complied with or that any documents to which it could relate would be removed, tampered with or destroyed, the inspector may enter any premises referred to in sub-article (2) for the purpose of obtaining therefrom any information or documents that could have been required under such notice referred to in articles 4 or 5.
Provided that any person who feels aggrieved by an order served on him in terms of this sub-article may appeal to the Tribunal against the decision of the Regulator in accordance with article 11.
Art. 7
Powers to give certain orders and to request a temporary prohibition of professional activity.
1227/2011, the Regulator for Energy and Water Services Act and of this Act.
Attachment orders.
Art. 8
Provided that the said period of thirty days shall be held in abeyance for such time as the suspect is away from Malta and the Attorney General informs of this fact the garnishee by notice in writing served in the manner provided for in sub-article (4).
Provided that such hearing shall always take place behind closed doors.
Freezing of funds.
Art. 9
Provided that the Criminal Court shall in such order determine what moneys may be paid to or received by the person charged during the subsistence of such order, specifying the sources, manner and other modalities of payment, including salary, wages, pension and social security benefits payable to the person charged, to allow him and his family a decent living in the amount, where the means permit, of fourteen thousand euro (€14,000) every year or such greater amount as may be determined by the Minister for Finance from time to time by Legal Notice issued by virtue of this Act:
Provided further that the Criminal Court may also (a) authorise the payment of debts which are due by the person charged to bona fide creditors and which were contracted before such order was made; and (b) on good grounds authorise the person charged to transfer movable or immovable property;
Any addressee shall promptly comply with any written order issued by the Criminal Court in accordance with the provisions of this article with regard to such funds and assets.
Art. 10
For the purpose of securing compliance with this Act, the Regulator may coordinate its efforts and exchange information with and otherwise collaborate with (a) any body or authority formed or established under Maltese law on matters in respect of which such body or authority may have a regulatory, supervisory, judicial or licensing function in terms of law; (b) any authority, foreign authority or body carrying out similar or equivalent functions or which has the responsibility to monitor the market and to detect, prevent or prosecute acts related to market abuse, insider dealing, market manipulation and, or the Remit Regulation; and (c) any other local or foreign supervisory, Co-ordination with other authorities.
WHOLESALE ENERGY MARKET INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY (ENFORCEMENT POWERS) enforcement or judicial authorities whose functions include the detection, prevention or prosecution of acts related to market abuse, insider dealing, market manipulation and, or the Remit Regulation.
The Regulator shall exercise powers by virtue of this (a) for preventing, investigating or detecting activities which amount or are likely to amount to market abuse, insider dealing, market manipulation under this Act or foreign law; (b) where the assistance is requested by a foreign authority for the purposes of the exercise of one or more of its regulatory functions under the Remit Regulation; (c) where so required within the terms of Malta’s international commitments; or (d) where so required within the terms of undertakings assumed in bilateral or multilateral agreements for the exchange of information and other forms of collaboration with overseas regulatory authorities including a request arising under a memorandum of understanding concluded with the Regulator.
In any case above-mentioned, the Regulator shall notify WHOLESALE ENERGY MARKET INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY (ENFORCEMENT POWERS) the requesting foreign authority accordingly, providing as detailed information as possible on those proceedings or the judgment.
Provided that where the foreign authority communicating information consents thereto, the Regulator receiving the information may use it for other purposes or forward it to any other foreign authority.
Art. 11
The provisions of articles 32, 33 and 34 of the Regulator for Energy and Water Services Act shall apply mutatis mutandis to appeals that may be brought before the Tribunal under this Act.
Appeals.
Art. 12
Art. 13
Administrative fines. Offences and penalties.
WHOLESALE ENERGY MARKET INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY (ENFORCEMENT POWERS) (b) wilfully or through negligence breaches any decision or order made under this Act or of regulations made thereunder; (c) fails to comply with any decision or order made under this Act or of regulations made thereunder; (d) hinders, obstructs, molests or interferes or attempts to hinder, obstruct, molest or interfere with the performance of the duties of any inspector, any employee or officer of the Regulator; or (e) makes a declaration for any of the purposes of this Act or of regulations made thereunder which is false, misleading or incorrect in any material particular, shall be guilty of an offence against this Act and shall, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for not more than eighteen months, or to a fine (multa) of not more than hundred thousand euro (€100,000) or to one thousand three hundred euro (€1,300) for each day during which the offence persists, or to both such fine and imprisonment.
Minister’s power to make regulations.
Art. 14
The Minister may, after Regulator, make regulations for the purposes of: consulting the (a) the better implementation of the provisions of this Act, any Remit Regulation requirement and any other implementing measures; (b) the proper application of the prohibitions established under this Act; (c) the imposition of administrative fines by the Regulator in terms of article 12; (d) in regard to the enforcement powers required by the Regulator to perform its functions under this Act; (e) for any aspect relating to the procedure and conditions that may be imposed in relation to any authorisation, registration or notification under this Act including where applicable the grant, renewal, transfer, suspension, cancellation and duration of any such authorisation, registration or notification, the manner in which applications for such authorisation, registration or notification WHOLESALE ENERGY MARKET INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY (ENFORCEMENT POWERS) is to be made, the content and form of such applications and how they may be granted, renewed or transferred, the fees payable, and the manner in which renewals or transfers thereof is to be indicated; (f) to give effect to any international obligation entered into by Government in relation to the Remit Regulation and to this Act; (g) for prescribing the information to be retained by any person under this Act and the provision of statistical data by such persons, and on any other matter relating to provision of information by any person to the Regulator; (h) for prescribing anything which may be or is required to be prescribed by this Act and in terms of any Remit Regulation requirement.
Art. 15
The Regulator may, from time to time, issue rules which shall be binding on persons specified therein and such rules shall be published in the Gazette.
Power of Regulator to issue rules.