Cap. 512 Art. 2Interpretation.

(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:

"business support measures" means any initiatives such as grants, rebates, exemptions and other forms of facilitation meant to make it easier for businesses to start up and operate;

"central entity" means an entity identified by article 5;

"College" means the College of Regulators established by article 13;

"consultation" means the seeking and giving of advice, information or opinion;

"Council" means the Enterprise Consultative Council established by article 10(1);

"customer satisfaction survey" is an exercise meant to analyse customer satisfaction and establish customer needs and expectations in order to identify any shortcomings or possible improvements in the service delivery; "explanatory notes" means a document prepared by the department or other entity submitting an instrument to Parliament or the House of Representatives that explains in plain terms what the instrument seeks to achieve and is meant to address, it is

*See article 1(2) of the Act, as originally enacted, and Legal Notice 410 of 2011, which brought into force the provisions of the Act, except articles 3(2)(a) and (b), 4, 13, 15 and 16 thereof; and Legal Notice 1 of 2015 which brought into force article 3(2)(a) and (b) and article 4. † Articles 13, 15 and 16 were brought into force as from 21st April, 2017 by Legal Notice 114 of 2017. published and attached with the Act or Legal Notice but does not have legal standing; "government agency" means a body listed in the Fourth Schedule to the Public Administration Act; "government department" means any entity in the public sector that is listed in the Second Schedule to the Public Administration Act; "government entity" means an organization, not being a government department, a government agency or a commercial partnership, in which government has a controlling interest, whether or not such an organization is established by law; "instrument" means both primary and subsidiary legislation, including a bill which has not yet become law, and the transposition of a European Union Directive into Maltese law; "the Malta Enterprise" means the entity set up in terms of the Malta Enterprise Act;

"the Minister" means the Minister responsible for the economy; "the National Statistics Office" means the Office set up under the Malta Statistics Authority Act; "public sector entities offering services to business" means the Authority responsible for Planning, the Authority responsible for the Environment and Resources, Jobsplus, the Commissioner for Revenue, the Department responsible for Commerce, the Malta Enterprise, the Regulator responsible for Energy and Water Services, the Authority responsible for Medicines, the Authority for Competition and Consumer Affairs, the Authority for Communications, the Customs Department, the Authority responsible for Financial Services, the Authority responsible for Gaming, the Registry of Companies Agency, Business First, Authority responsible for Transport, and any other entity as may be identified by the Minster from time to time; "the Small Business Advisory Committee" means the body established by article 10(6); "SME" means small and medium enterprises as defined in Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC of 6 May 2003 concerning the definition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises;

"SME Test" means the impact assessment as set out in Schedule II;

"user guidelines" means a document prepared by the department or other entity that intends to enforce a new instrument in order to explain to the public in plain terms what will be required to abide by the provisions of the law, and what will be expected of it to ensure compliance.

(2) In the interpretation and application of this Act, the Minister shall, in such manner as he deems appropriate, give due consideration to the provisions of the European Charter for Small Enterprises.