S.L. 545.43 Art. 32Administrative procedures, regulations and codes.

(1) Any national rules concerning the authorisation, certification and licensing procedures that are applied to:

(a) plants and associated transmission and distribution networks for the production of electricity, heating or cooling from renewable sources;

(b) the process of transformation of biomass into biofuels, bioliquids, biomass fuels or other energy products; and

(c) renewable transport fuels of non-biological origin;

shall be proportionate and necessary and shall contribute to the implementation of the energy efficiency first principle.

(2) The relevant authorities shall, in particular and to the extent that this is within the scope of each of their legally established remits, take the appropriate steps to ensure that:

(a) administrative procedures are streamlined and expedited at the appropriate administrative level and predictable timeframes are established for the procedures referred to in the sub-regulation (1);

(b) rules concerning authorisation, certification and licensing are objective, transparent and proportionate, do not discriminate between applicants and take fully into account the particularities of individual renewable energy technologies;

(c) administrative charges paid by consumers, planners, periti, builders and equipment and system installers and suppliers are transparent and cost-related; and

(d) simplified and less burdensome authorisation procedures, including a simple-notification procedure, are established for decentralised devices and for producing and storing energy from renewable sources.

(3) Pilot projects involving the testing in a real-world environment and for a limited period, of innovative renewable energy technology for producing, sharing and storing of renewable energy shall be promoted and supported in line with Malta’s National Strategy for Research and Innovation in Energy and Water 2021-2030.

(4) All relevant authorities shall ensure that provisions are included for the integration and deployment of renewable energy, including for renewables self-consumption and renewable energy communities, and for the use of unavoidable waste heat and cold when planning, including early spatial planning, designing, building and renovating urban infrastructure, industrial, commercial or residential areas and energy and transport infrastructure, including electricity, district heating and cooling, natural gas and alternative fuel networks.

(5) Local and regional administrative bodies are encouraged to include heating and cooling from renewable sources in the planning of city infrastructure where appropriate, and to consult the network operators to reflect the impact of energy efficiency and demand-response programmes as well as specific provisions on renewables self-consumption and renewable energy communities, on the SOURCES

infrastructure development plans of the network operators.