MALTA CRAFTS COUNCIL [ CAP. 421.  1
CHAPTER 421
MALTA CRAFTS COUNCIL ACT
AN ACT to make provision for the encouragement, promotion and
regulation of crafts and craftsmen, in particular crafts forming part of
Malta’s historical heritage, for the setting up of a national crafts council
to be called the Malta Crafts Council and for matters ancillary to or
connected therewith.
21st November, 2000
ACT XXI of 2000.
Title and 
commencement.
1. The title of this Act is Malta Crafts Council Act and shall
come into force on such date as the Minister responsible for
industry may, subject to the provisions of article 8 thereof, by
notice in the Gazette establish and different dates may be so
established for different provisions and different purposes of this
Act.
Interpretation.
“the Council” means the Malta Crafts Council set up under
article 4 of this Act;
“craft” means an art, skill or trade, declared by the Minister to be
a craft for the purposes of this Act and practised by a person or
persons in the manufacture of artefacts and other products and
generally requiring in their manufacturing a greater input of human
skill than of machinery;
“craftsman” means a person who practises a Maltese craft and
earns his living by or supplements his income by that Maltese craft
or who proves that he possesses the ability to produce Maltese craft
products;
“entrepreneur” means a person, whether an individual or a
juridical person, who by way of trade deals in Maltese craft
products;
“Maltese craft” means a craft generally reflecting the traditions
and heritage of the Maltese islands;
“Maltese craft products” means products of Maltese crafts
manufactured in Malta;
“marks” for the purpose of article 7 includes hallmarks and
labels;
“the Minister” means the Minister responsible for industry.
Minister may 
declare an art, etc., 
to be a Maltese 
craft.
3. The Minister may by Order under this Act declare an art,
skill, trade or industry to be a Maltese craft for the purposes of this
Act and may by like Order amend, revoke or substitute an Order so
made.
Malta Crafts 
Council.
4. (1) There shall be a council which shall be an autonomous
non-profit making body to be known as the Malta Crafts Council
which shall have the functions, powers and duties set out in this
Act.
2 [ CAP. 421. MALTA CRAFTS COUNCIL
(2) The Council shall consist of -
( a ) the Director of Industry  ex officio  who shall be
Chairman; 
( b ) a Deputy Chairman appointed by the Minister;
( c ) an officer serving in the Ministry responsible for
education or the departments falling under the
responsibility of that Ministry, appointed by the
Minister with the concurrence of the Minister
responsible for education;
( d ) an officer serving in the Ministry responsible for Gozo
or the departments, or sections of departments, falling
under the responsibility of that Ministry appointed by
the Minister with the concurrence of the Minister
responsible for Gozo;
( e ) an officer serving in the Ministry responsible for
agriculture and fisheries or departments falling under
the responsibility of that Ministry, appointed by the
Minister with the concurrence of the Minister
responsible for agriculture and fisheries;
( f ) an officer serving in the Ministry responsible for
tourism or the departments falling under the
responsibility of that Ministry, appointed by the
Minister with the concurrence of the Minister
responsible for tourism;
(g) a member, appointed by the Minister, who shall be
representing a legally constituted organisation
representing entrepreneurs;
( h ) three representatives to be elected by and from among
craftsmen registered with the Council; and
( i ) a representative to be elected by and from among
entrepreneurs registered with the Council.
(3) The Minister shall designate an officer not below the rank
of Senior Principal, or such other rank as the Minister may
prescribe, and serving in a department falling under his Ministry, to
act as Secretary to the Council.
(4) ( a ) The members of the Council shall hold office in an
honorary capacity and, save for the elected members,
shall hold office for such term as may be stated in their
appointment or until such time as the Minister shall
appoint another person to replace them.
( b ) The elected members of the Council shall be so elected
and shall so hold office as provided in the Schedule to
this Act.
(5) A person shall not be eligible to be a member of the
Council if he -
( a ) is a member of the House of Representatives; or
MALTA CRAFTS COUNCIL [ CAP. 421.  3
Cap. 313.
( b ) has been convicted of any crime against property and
public safety, of any crime against public trust, of any
crime against public trade or of any offence under the
Trade Descriptions Act.
(6) A person shall cease to be a member of the Council if -
( a ) he is no longer eligible to be appointed or elected as a
member; or
( b ) in the case of a person appointed by the Minister, if
another member is appointed in his stead; or
( c ) in the case of an elected member, if he resigns his
office in writing to the Minister; or
( d ) in any other case as provided in this Act or the
Schedule thereto.
(7) The Council may act notwithstanding any vacancy in its
composition.
(8) The Chairman shall, and in his absence the Deputy
Chairman shall, preside over the meetings of the Council; in the
absence of both the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman, the
members present shall elect one of the appointed members to
preside over the meeting.
(9) ( a ) The quorum at the meetings of the Council shall be of
six members; if no quorum is present at the time for
which a meeting is convened, the meeting shall
commence after thirty minutes, provided that no
decision of the Council shall be valid unless it is
supported by at least four members of the Council, one
of whom being a member appointed by the Minister.
( b ) The Chairman or the member presiding at a meeting
shall have an original, and in the case of an equality of
votes, a second or casting vote.
( c ) The Council may ask any person as it may deem fit to
attend meetings of the Council to advise it on any
matter before the Council, and such persons shall not
be entitled to vote at such meetings.
( d ) Otherwise, the Council shall regulate its own
procedures.
(10) The Chairman shall enforce the decisions of the Council
through the agency of his department, or of other departments of
Government or through other bodies, agencies or persons, after
consultation with the Council.   
(11) The Secretary shall keep minutes of meetings and send
notices convening meetings of the Council. 
(12) The Council shall meet at least once a month and shall be
convened on such date and time as may be directed by the
Chairman or as may be requested by any five of its members.
(13) The judicial representation of the Council shall vest in the
Chairman or such other member as the Council shall appoint for
particular purposes.   Any such appointment shall be notified in the
4 [ CAP. 421. MALTA CRAFTS COUNCIL
Gazette.
Minister to supply 
Council with 
facilities.
5. (1) The Minister shall provide the Council with such
facilities as in his opinion may be required for the proper
performance of its functions.
(2) The decisions of the Council shall be communicated by the
Secretary to the Minister.
Functions of the 
Council.
6. (1) The Council shall have the following functions:
( a ) to register craftsmen and entrepreneurs in accordance
with such rules as may be prescribed;
( b ) to promote a steady interest, appreciation, promotion
and regulation of Maltese crafts in particular and in
Maltese crafts in general among all sectors of the
community both resident and foreign;
( c ) to support and safeguard the interests of craftsmen
through the promotion of studies for the identification
of raw materials, design, market research and sales
programmes;
( d ) to promote the revival of traditional Maltese crafts;
( e ) to promote the creation of opportunities for the
production of Maltese craft products;
( f ) to establish a voluntary certification system whereby
the genuineness of Maltese craft products is
guaranteed and to regulate and supervise such system;
( g ) to advise the Minister on all aspects of Maltese crafts,
generally and in particular in the formulation of a
national policy on Maltese crafts, and in the making of
regulations under this Act;
( h ) to advise on the implementation of, and to monitor, the
national policy on Maltese crafts;
( i ) to establish international contacts with the aim of
enhancing Maltese crafts;
( j ) to perform any other function as may be assigned to it
under this or any other law.
(2) For the performance of its functions under this Act the
Council may with the concurrence of the Minister utilise such
funds as may be assigned to it by the Government from time to time
and as may be donated or bequeathed to the Council by other
persons.
(3) The Council shall be exempt from the payment of income
tax or of duty on documents or transfers.
Power to Minister 
to make 
regulations.
7. The Minister may after consultation with the Council make
regulations for the better carrying out of the provisions of this Act
and may in particular by such regulations:
( a ) regulate the registration of craftsmen and
entrepreneurs;
( b ) provide for a system under the supervision of the
MALTA CRAFTS COUNCIL [ CAP. 421.  5
Council for the certification of the genuineness of
Maltese craft products and the materials used in their
production;
( c ) establish the qualifications that craftsmen producing
Maltese craft products are to possess;
( d ) provide for the certification of craftsmen producing
Maltese craft products;
Cap. 419.
( e ) establish such marks that indicate the genuineness of
Maltese craft products as marks of conformity issued
by virtue of the Malta Standards Authority Act;
( f ) amend or substitute the Schedule to this Act;
( g ) generally to regulate the activities of craftsmen and
entrepreneurs; and
( h ) prescribe any matter that in accordance with this Act is
to be prescribed.
Transitory period.
into force before the lapse of such period, being of not less that six
months, after the making of regulations under article 7( a ) of this
Act, during which period craftsmen and entrepreneurs may register
for the purposes of this Act.
SCHEDULE
(Article 4)
1. The elected members of the Council shall, subject to the
provisions of this Schedule, be elected for a period of two years.
2. Subject to the provisions of this Schedule, elections shall
be held three months before the expiry of the term of office of the
then current members.
3. Only registered craftsmen shall be eligible to vote for the
members of the Council referred to in article 4(2)( g ).
4. Only registered entrepreneurs shall be eligible to vote for
the members of the Council referred to in paragraph of article
4(2)( h ).
5. Elections shall be held under the supervision of the
Secretary who shall publish a call for nominations one month
before the date of the poll.
6. Nominations, to be signed by a person eligible to vote in
the election and accepted by the signature of the candidate, shall be
received by the Secretary up to two weeks before the date of the
poll.
7. The date and place of the poll shall be published in the
Gazette by the Secretary at least fifteen days before the date of the
poll.
6 [ CAP. 421. MALTA CRAFTS COUNCIL
8. The list of candidates shall be posted at the place of the
poll for at least four days before the day of the poll up to and
including the day of the poll itself.
9. Elections are to be by secret ballot, voters for the members
referred to in article 4(2)( g ) shall vote for three candidates and
shall show their preference by placing an X in front of the name of
the candidates preferred.
10. Voters for the members referred to in article 4(2)( h ) shall
vote for two candidates and the other provisions of paragraph 9 of
this Schedule shall  mutatis mutandis  apply.
11. Elected members may not serve for more than three
consecutive terms of office and shall not be eligible to be
candidates for a fourth consecutive term.
12. The candidates with the highest number of votes shall be
declared elected. The votes shall be counted by the Secretary and
two election commissioners elected for that purpose from amongst
those present during the same meeting.
13. The result of the election shall be published in the Gazette.
14. If an elected member resigns, his place shall be filled by
the non-elected candidate obtaining the next highest number of
votes. Such member shall serve for the remaining period of the
term of office of the resigning member.
15. If all the elected members under article 4(2)( g ) or ( h )
resign en bloc, a fresh election shall be held for members under the
said paragraph ( g ) or ( h ) as the case may be within three months
from the date of resignation. The members elected under such an
election shall serve for a full term of two years.
16. Where not enough candidates are nominated, the vacancy
shall be filled by the Minister who shall act on the advice of the
remaining members of the Council.
17. Voting shall be in person and no person may appoint a
proxy to vote in his stead.
18. An annual general meeting of all registered craftsmen and
an annual general meeting of all registered entrepreneurs shall be
held in January of each year.
19. Extraordinary general meetings shall be held when a call
therefor is made in writing and signed by at least twenty percent of
all registered craftsmen, or twenty per cent of all registered
entrepreneurs, as the case may be; the Chairman shall convene such
extraordinary general meeting within four weeks of such a request
being made.
20. The quorum at general meetings shall be thirty members
eligible to attend and vote thereat.
21. If a quorum is not present at the time at which the meeting
is to commence, the meeting shall commence thirty minutes after
that time and the persons present at that time shall constitute a
quorum.
22. The Chairman shall preside at general meetings. Notice of
MALTA CRAFTS COUNCIL [ CAP. 421.  7
general meetings shall be distributed to the registered persons and
published in the Gazette by the Secretary not later than one week
before the date of the meeting.
23. At annual general meetings the Chairman shall give a
report of the activities of the Council during the previous calendar
year.
24. At general meetings the persons present may call for the
resignation of the elected members to which the meeting refers, and
if such a call is supported by the majority of members present, the
elected members shall be considered as having resigned:
Provided that no such call shall be valid unless it is
supported by at least thirty persons entitled to vote for the election
of such members. Otherwise, a decision of a general meeting is
valid if supported by a majority of persons present.
25. General meetings may on a motion make suggestions for
activities and action by the Council.
26. The Council may, for disciplinary reasons to be provided
for in regulations, suspend the rights of a craftsman or an
entrepreneur, as the case may be, from attending and voting at
general meetings or at elections. The decision of the Council in
such matters shall be final.
