S.L. 607.3 Art. 4Competent authority for licensing, accreditation and quality assurance.

(1) In accordance with article 3(2) of the Act, the Authority shall be the competent authority for licensing, accreditation and quality assurance of providers and programmes.

(2) Where reference is made under these regulations to adherence to guidelines made and published by the Authority, the

Authority is authorised to issue, amend and revoke guidelines as it deems fit for the purpose of the implementation of the respective provisions of these regulations.

(3) For the purposes of its accreditation and external quality assurance functions, the Authority shall be sufficiently independent from government, from providers as well as from business, industry and professional associations in all their operations and decisions.

(4) In accordance with article 17 of the Act, the Authority shall establish a Quality Assurance Committee to carry out its licensing, accreditation and quality assurance functions under these regulations. Decisions taken by the Quality Assurance Committee require adoption by the Authority for their validity and enforcement: Provided that reference to "the Authority" under these regulations shall be construed as reference to the Quality Assurance Committee, unless the context shall otherwise require.

(5) The Quality Assurance Committee referred to in the previous sub-regulation shall compile and send to the Authority an annual report, not later than four weeks after the end of each financial year, on its activities during that year, including the policies, functions and future plans of the Quality Assurance Committee. Such report shall be integrated with the annual report to be compiled and sent by the Authority to the Minister in accordance with the article 17(5) of the Act:

Provided that such annual report may include matters relating to quality assurance and accreditation, including the standards and outcomes of the Maltese further and higher education system, processes and international standing, and the impact of these regulations and any guidelines issued under these regulations on Maltese further and higher education, using information available through quality audits and accreditation, and from other sources.

(6) In undertaking its functions as the competent authority for licensing, accreditation and quality assurance of providers and programmes under these regulations, the Authority shall enter into agreements with sectoral bodies engaged in matters which in any manner relate to the regulation, supervision, monitoring or quality of the provision of further or higher education, with the purpose of setting up a system for such sectoral bodies to assist the Authority in its functions under these regulations.