                           CONTINENTAL SHELF  ġ CAP. 194.        1
CHAPTER 194 
CONTINENTAL SHELF ACT
To make provision as to the exploration and exploitation of the
continental shelf and for matters connected with those purposes.
29th July, 1966
ACT XXXV of 1966, as amended by Acts XIII of 1983 and I of 2002. 
Short title.
Interpretation.
"the continental shelf" means the sea bed and subsoil of the
submarine areas adjacent to the coast of Malta but outside
territorial waters, to a depth of two hundred metres or, beyond that
limit, to where the depth of the superjacent waters admits of the
exploitation of the natural resources of the said areas; so however
that where in relation to states of which the coast is opposite that of
Malta it is necessary to determine the boundaries of the respective
continental shelves, the boundary of the continental shelf shall be
that determined by agreement between Malta and such other state
or states or, in the absence of agreement, the median line, namely a
line every point of which is equidistant from the nearest points of
the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial waters of
Malta and of such other state or states is measured;
"Malta" has the same meaning as is assigned to it by article 124
of the Constitution of Malta;
"natural resources" means the mineral and other non-living
resources of the sea bed and subsoil as well as the living organisms
belonging to sedentary species.
Exploration and 
exploitation of the 
continental shelf.
3. (1) Any rights exercisable by Malta with respect to the
continental shelf and its natural resources are by this Act vested in
the Government of Malta.
Cap. 156.
(2) In relation to any petroleum with respect to which the rights
mentioned in subarticle (1) are exercisable, article 3(2) (which
prohibits any person from searching or boring for or getting
petroleum without a licence), article 4 (which relates to the
granting of licences to search and bore for, and get, petroleum) and
article 5 (which relates to the making of regulations with respect to
the exploration, prospecting and mining for petroleum) of the
Petroleum (Production) Act shall apply as they apply in relation to
petroleum in Malta.
(3) The Prime Minister may from time to time by order
published in the Government Gazette designate any area as an area
within which the rights mentioned in subarticle (1) are exercisable,
and any area so designated is in this Act referred to as a designated
area.
Cap. 156.
(4) In this article "petroleum" has the same meaning as in the
Petroleum (Production) Act.
  2      CAP. 194. ħ                 CONTINENTAL SHELF 
Protection of 
installations in 
designated areas. 
Amended by: 
XIII. 1983.5.
4. (1) The Prime Minister may for the purpose of protecting
any installation or other device in a designated area by order
published in the Government Gazette prohibit ships, subject to any
exceptions provided by the order, from entering without his consent
such part of that area as may be specified in the order.
(2) If any ship enters any part of a designated area in
contravention of an order under this article, its owner or master
shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine ( multa ) not
exceeding one thousand liri or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding three months, or to both, unless he proves that the
prohibition imposed by the order was not, and would not on
reasonable inquiry have become, known to the master.
Orders may be 
varied or revoked.
5. Any order under this Act may be varied or revoked by a
subsequent order.
Application of law 
in force in Malta.
6. (1) Any act or omission which -
( a ) takes place on, under or above an installation or other
device in a designated area or any waters within five
hundred metres of such an installation or device, and
( b ) would, if taking place in any part of Malta, constitute
an offence under the law in force in Malta,
shall be treated for the purposes of that law and of any other law in
force in Malta as taking place in the island of Malta.
Cap. 12. (2) For the purposes of article 742 of the Code of Organization
and Civil Procedure (which relates to jurisdiction) any installation
or device in a designated area and any waters within five hundred
metres of such an installation or device shall be treated as if they
were situated in the island of Malta.
Discharge of oil. 
Amended by: 
XIII. 1983.5.
7. (1) If any oil or any mixture containing not less than one
hundred parts of any oil in a million parts of the mixture is
discharged or escapes into any part of the sea -
( a ) from a pipeline, or
( b ) as a result of any operations for the exploration of the
sea bed and subsoil or the exploitation of their natural
resources in a designated area,
the owner of the pipeline or, as the case may be, the person carrying
on the operations shall be guilty of an offence unless he proves, in
the case of a discharge from a place in his occupation, that it was
due to the act of a person who was there without his permission
(express or implied) or, in the case of an escape, that he took all
reasonable care to prevent it and that as soon as practicable after it
was discovered all reasonable steps were taken for stopping or
reducing it.
(2) A person guilty of an offence under this article shall be
liable, on summary conviction, to a fine ( multa ) not exceeding one
thousand liri.
                           CONTINENTAL SHELF  ġ CAP. 194.        3
Measures to 
prevent 
interference with 
exploitation of 
continental shelf. 
Amended by: 
XIII. 1983.5.
8. (1) No person shall lay or maintain any submarine cable or
pipeline under the high seas in a designated area without a licence
in that behalf granted by the Prime Minister or in contravention of
any requirement or condition contained in any such licence as to
the route of any such cable or pipeline or as to any other matter
intended to ensure non-interference with the exploration or
exploitation of the continental shelf or its natural resources.
(2) Any person who contravenes any of the provisions of this
article shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine ( multa ) not
exceeding fifty liri for each day during which the offence
continues.
Offences by 
association of 
persons.
9. (1) Where an offence under this Act (including an offence
under another Act as applied by this Act and anything that is an
offence by virtue of article 6(1)) is committed by an association of
persons, every person who, at the time of the commission of the
offence, was a director, manager, secretary or other similar officer
of such association or was purporting to act in any such capacity
shall be deemed to be guilty of that offence unless he proves that
the offence was committed without his knowledge and that he
exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of the
offence.
(2) A member of the Police Force shall on any installation or
device in a designated area have all powers, protection and
privileges which he has in Malta.
Right of hot 
pursuit.
Added by:
I. 2002.6.
Cap. 226.
10. The provisions of subarticles (2) to (6), both inclusive, of
article 8 of the Territorial Waters and Contiguous Zone Act shall
apply  mutatis mutandis  to any reasonable suspicion of an offence
under this Act.
