Mifsud & Mifsud
Advocates have a diversified portfolio of international shipping and maritime
practice and clients. The firm is structured and driven to provide a broad
range of legal and ancillary advisory services to its local and international
client portfolio which meet the highest professional standards. Malta being an
island in the central part of the Mediterranean, south of Italy and north of
the North African littoral, has always been a centre of trade with a maritime
tradition. The comprehensive range of maritime service facilities which Malta
now provides has significantly enhanced the island’s reputation
as an important maritime service centre. Whilst Malta’s strong
maritime tradition has meant that foreign vessels have long been registered in
Malta, the last few years have seen the Island’s ship register develop swiftly to
keep abreast with legal and technical developments which took place on the
international maritime arena.
The
choice of Flag for a vessel engaged in international trade may have important
financial and legal implications on the vessel’s acquisition, maintenance, operation
and disposal, a decision which surely cannot be taken lightly. Malta has
ratified all the major maritime conventions. Moreover, since Malta’s accession
to the EU in 2004, and as the administrator of the second largest ship registry
in the EU, Malta has continued to give increasing and fundamental importance to
safety of life at sea and the prevention of marine pollution to ensure that all
Malta flagged vessels are operated to the highest safety and prevention of
pollution standards. This has undoubtedly made the Malta Flag a Flag of
Confidence amongst reputable ship owners, ship operators and ship financiers
alike. Some of the advantages accruing to ship owners and ship operators whose
vessel/s fly the Malta flag include an open register policy, tax exemptions and
preferential treatment of Maltese ships in certain ports.
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