Cap. 565 Art. 2Interpretation.

In this Act, and in any rules or regulations made under this

Act, unless the subject or context otherwise requires:

"applicant" means a business registering as a family business under this Act; "benefits" means any assistance or relief granted to a registered family business in terms of the Duty and Documents Transfers Act, Malta Enterprise Act, Business Promotion Act and in terms of any other law or scheme as the Minister may prescribe by regulations; "established in Malta" means the head office, agency, or branch or part of a business and shall include a permanent presence of that business carried out in Malta; "family business" has the meaning assigned to it in article 3; "family member" means the family business owner’s spouse, ascendants, descendants in the direct line and their relative spouses, brothers or sisters and their descendants or as the Minister may prescribe;

"guidelines" means the set of rules issued by the Regulator from time to time for the further implementation of the provisions of this Act, and any regulations made hereunder, including the definition, application, administration, grant and revocation of benefits, schemes and other arrangements for the regulation, management and transfer of family businesses and their governance in Malta; "limited liability company" means a company duly formed and registered under Part V of the Companies Act;

"the Minister" means the Minister responsible for the Malta Enterprise and includes, to the extent of the authority given, any

* see sub-article (2) of article 1 of the Act as originally enacted, and Legal Notice 387 of 2016. "partnership" means a partnership en nom collectif or partnership en nom commandite duly formed and registered in terms of Part III and Part V of the Companies Act;

"prescribed" means either prescribed by regulations made by the Minister under this Act or prescribed by binding guidelines made by the Regulator under this Act, unless otherwise expressly stated, and in the event of a conflict between the regulations made by the Minister and guidelines made by the Regulator on any particular matter, the regulations shall prevail; "private foundations" means those foundations established for a private interest and registered or otherwise recognised as legal persons in terms of the Second Schedule to the Civil Code;

"public limited company" means a company duly formed and registered under Part V of the Companies Act; "the Regulator" means a person who is appointed to manage, supervise and administer the Register of Family Businesses according to this Act and appointed by virtue of article 17; "spouse" means a spouse in terms of the Marriage Act and a partner in terms of the Civil Unions Act; "trusts" means a trust in terms of the Trusts and Trustees Act. Part II General Provisions