S.L. 545.35 Art. 19Organisation and main principles of thepermit-granting procedure. 

(1) The permit-granting procedure shall cover all relevant administrative permits to build, repower and operate renewable energy plants, including those combining different renewable energy sources, heat pumps and co-located energy storage, including power and thermal facilities, as well as assets necessary for the connection of such plants, heat pumps and storage to the grid and to integrate renewable energy into heating and cooling networks, including grid-connection permits and where required, environmental assessments.

(2) The permit-granting procedure shall comprise all administrative stages, from the acknowledgment of the completeness of the permit application in accordance with sub-regulation (3), up to the notification of the final decision on the outcome of the permit-granting procedure by the relevant competent authority or authorities.

(3) Every relevant authority which is responsible for the issuing of any administrative permit associated with renewable energy plants, shall acknowledge the completeness of the application or, if the applicant has not sent all the information required to process the application, shall request that the applicant submit a complete application without undue delay:

Provided that such acknowledgement or request as the case may be, shall be provided within thirty (30) days, for renewable energy plants located in renewables acceleration areas, and within forty-five (45) days, for renewable energy plants located outside renewables acceleration areas, from receipt of an application for a permit.

(4) The date of acknowledgement of the completeness of the application by the relevant authority shall indicate the commencement of the permit-granting procedure.

(5) An set-up made up of the relevant permitting ad hoc authorities of which the Regulator of energy services and the competent authority for development permitting shall be permanent members, shall act as a single contact point for the entire administrative permit-application and permit-granting procedure:

Provided that any other relevant permitting authority may be added to the set-up as required.

(6) The contact point designated in line with sub-regulation

(5) shall, upon the request of the applicant, guide and facilitate the applicant during the entire administrative permit-application and permit-granting procedure and the applicant shall not be required to contact more than one (1) contact point during the entire procedure.

(7) The contact point designated in line with sub-regulation

(5) shall guide the applicant through the administrative permit-application procedure, including the steps relating to the protection of the environment, in a transparent manner until the delivery of one or more decisions by the competent authorities at the end of the permit-granting procedure, provide the applicant with all necessary information and where appropriate, involve other administrative authorities.

(8) The contact point designated in line with sub-regulation

(5) shall ensure that the deadlines for the permit-granting procedures set out in these regulations are met.

(9) All relevant authorities shall allow applicants to submit relevant documents digitally, provided that by the 21st November 2025, all permit-granting procedures referred to in sub-regulation (1) shall be carried out in electronic format.

(10) The contact point designated in line with sub-regulation

(5) shall make available a manual of procedures for developers of renewable energy plants and shall provide such information online, addressing also distinctly small-scale renewable energy projects, renewables self-consumers projects and renewable energy communities.

(11) Should more than one (1) contact point be designated in line with sub-regulation (5), online information shall indicate the contact point relevant to the application in question.

(12) Every relevant authority shall ensure that applicants and the general public have easy access to simple procedures for the settlement of disputes concerning the permit-granting procedure and the issuance of permits to build and operate renewable energy plants, including where applicable, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

(13) Administrative and judicial appeals in the context of a project for the development of a renewable energy plant, the connection of such plant to the grid, and the assets necessary for the development of the energy infrastructure networks required to integrate energy from renewable sources into the energy system, including appeals related to environmental aspects, shall be ensured to be subject to the most expeditious administrative and judicial procedure that is available.

(14) Every relevant authority shall take into account the planned installed renewable energy generation capacity provided for in Malta’s integrated national energy and climate plans submitted pursuant to Articles 3 and 14 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 to ensure its staff complement is suitably qualified and to make any plans for upskilling and reskilling which may be deemed necessary.

(15) Except when it coincides with other administrative stages of the permit-granting procedure, the duration of the permit-granting procedure shall not include:

(a) the time during which the renewable energy plants, their grid connections and, with a view to ensuring grid stability, grid reliability and safety, the time during which the related necessary grid infrastructure, is being built or repowered;

(b) the time for the administrative stages necessary for significant upgrades to the grid required for ensuring grid stability, grid reliability and grid safety;

(c) the time for any judicial appeals and remedies, other proceedings before a court or tribunal and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, including complaint procedures and non-judicial appeals and remedies.

(16) All relevant authorities shall make publicly available the decisions resulting from the permit-granting procedures.