Shipping & maritime law newsletter – Issue no. 30 (August 2020)

Authors: Jan Rossi, Jotham Scerri-Diacono, Caroline Risiott, Matthew Xerri, Saman Bugeja
Published on

Welcome to our 30th edition of the GANADO Advocates Shipping & Maritime Law Newsletter.

In this issue we provide insight into how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the shipping and maritime industry such as the re-negotiating of the existing financing packages. We also included a news item on how the relaxation of COVID-19 measures had a positive impact on the Maltese shipping industry.

We are also including details about the recent changes to Maltese laws regulating shipping companies and the very latest news about Malta’s maritime registry entering the top 20 Paris MoU white list registers. Moreover, the Malta Chapter on the 2020 edition of the Transport Finance Law Review written by GANADO Advocates is available in this edition.

Lastly, we share with you the MSD Notices published by the Merchant Shipping Directorate since the last edition.

We trust you will find this issue of the newsletter to be of interest. Please feel free to get in touch with us should you require any further information on this edition.

Keep safe!

Jotham Scerri-Diacono

News

Malta’s maritime registry among the top 20 Paris MoU white list registers

During a press briefing held on Friday, 31st July 2020, the Hon Minister Ian Borg announced that Malta’s maritime registry has, for the very first time, been classified among the top 20 registers on the Paris MoU white list.

Read more here >>

Relaxation of COVID-19 measures and its impact on the Maltese shipping industry

During the past few months the Maltese government has lifted most of the COVID-19 restrictive measures, in order to mitigate the negative effects that the pandemic had on the local economy, which had a positive impact on the Maltese shipping industry as well.

Read more here >>

Travel Ban Exemption on Transiting Yachts

As of 5 June 2020, an exception from the provisions of the Travel Ban (Extension to all Countries) Order, that came into effect as of 21 March 2020, shall come into force in relation to transiting yachts, with only crew members on board, that intend to berth in Malta for the purpose of refuelling, repairs, servicing, flagging, customs procedures and other necessities.

Read more here >>

COVID-19 temporary precautionary measures – Framework of protocol for conducting maritime support services

On the 23rd May 2020, the Ports and Yachting Directorate within the Authority for Transport in Malta (the Maltese Port Authorities) published Port Notice 09/2020 entitled COVID-19 Temporary Precautionary Measures – Framework of Protocol for Conducting Maritime Support Services.

Read more here >>

Articles and publications

Re-negotiating existing financing packages due to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a global crisis with far-reaching consequences, particularly for the shipping industry, an industry which was already facing challenges before the virus took hold around the world.

Read more here >>

Malta eyes tonnage influx after ironing out odd legal wrinkle

Companies registering on the island will no longer have to convert into a non-shipping company — and then back again.

Read more here >>

The Transport Finance Law Review

GANADO Advocates wrote the Malta chapter on the 2020 edition of The Transport Finance Law Review. This is intended to provide the industry with a guide to transport finance today, in each of the key jurisdictions globally in which aircraft, rolling stock and ships are financed.

Read more here >>

Malta – Recent Changes to Laws Regulating Shipping Companies

The Merchant Shipping (Shipping organisations – Private Companies) Regulations (Subsidiary Legislation 234.42 of the Laws of Malta, “the Regulations”) have recently been amended by Legal Notice 31 of 2020 published in the Government Gazette on the 21st of February 2020.

Read more here >>

MSD notices

We trust that this issue of our shipping and maritime law newsletter was of interest to our readers. Should you have any queries, feedback or suggestions to make, please feel free to contact Jotham Scerri-Diacono, Karl Grech Orr or Daniel Aquilina. We will be pleased to hear from you.

This newsletter was co-authored by Ilias Theocharis.

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