Cap. 591 Art. 4Main policies and objectives. 

(1) The Government shall determine Malta’s policies and objectives with regard to innovative technology to support the development of Malta as a centre of excellence for innovative technology and shall appropriate such funds and provide such resources to the Authority as it considers necessary to achieve such aims.

(2) The Authority shall seek to achieve the following main objectives and policies and shall have the power:

(a) to promote governmental policies that favour the deployment, within the public administration, of innovative technology by the Government where necessary or appropriate;

(b) to foster, promote and facilitate the advancement and utilisation of innovative technology through, amongst others, programmes and schemes, such as, but not limited to, a controlled regulatory environment for the testing of innovative technology, aimed at incentivising innovative technology development in and from Malta and the creation of trust in innovative technology;

(c) to assist developers of innovative technology, in particular, but not exclusively, start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises in meeting their regulatory and other obligations, and to minimise risks to, and posed by, innovative technology, by issuing recognitions and through other programmes and incentives designed for this purpose;

(d) to promote, through grants, programmes, research, education, use and, or the making available of facilities, hardware or personnel, the use and development of innovative technology and the application of ethical standards in the development and use of such innovative technology:

Provided that the giving of such grants shall not prejudice and, or preclude the Authority’s oversight and regulatory functions and powers;

(e) to promote, and strive to safeguard, maintain and protect the reputation of Malta in relation to innovative technology and the development and use of innovative technology;

(f) to protect the interest of users of innovative technology and the public in general and in so doing take any necessary action, including without limitation to disclosure of information and documents which the Authority in its discretion deems that merits disclosure and, or when required by law, to be disclosed to the general public and, or referred to any other competent authority and the pursuance of any further act or collaboration from or with other public entities, regulatory bodies and, or competent authorities and, or regulatory bodies;

(g) to provide a sound financial basis to the Authority, through, amongst others, the levying of fees by the Authority, including the imposition of interest in the case of late payment at the rate to be determined by the Authority, for the Authority to be able to achieve its purposes;

(h) to promote harmonised practices and, where applicable, to facilitate the adoption of standards in innovative technology in Malta in conformity with international norms, standards, rules and, or laws and particularly with those of the European Union;

(i) to assist the competent data protection authorities as required by law;

(j) to promote and encourage ethical and legitimate criteria in the design and use of innovative technology, and to enforce, as deemed necessary, the quality of services and security of the innovative technology for which a recognition has been granted by the Authority;

(k) through collaboration with other regulatory bodies and competent authorities with responsibility for the prevention of money laundering and the financing of terrorism and crime in general, to support the prevention of money laundering, terrorist financing and the commission of any other crime in, or by means of the use of innovative technology;

(l) to promote trust, transparency, reliability, robustness, safety and auditability in the design and use of innovative technology;

(m) to promote legal certainty in the application of laws, in a national and cross-border context, and the development of appropriate legal principles for the effective application of law to innovative technology; and

(n) to promote security by design and security by default criteria with reference to innovative technology.

(3) The Authority shall encourage the development of innovative technology in as wide a manner and for as many uses as possible so as to achieve its benefits in as many economic and social sectors as possible, including, but not limited to, in financial services, health and education, voluntary organisations, public administration, logistics, transport, sports and entertainment.

(4) The Authority shall also encourage the development of regulatory processes in relation to innovative technology to support all national competent authorities regulating different sectors to better administer the laws entrusted to their administration for the public benefit.

(5) The Authority shall be the national focal point for the recognition of innovative technology and shall, when it deems necessary, collaborate with other public entities, regulatory bodies and, or competent authorities in promoting measures to be adopted in meeting and reducing the risks identified with its intended use.

(6) For the purpose of this article:

(a) "security by design" means measures adopted at the earliest stages of the design and development of innovative technology, and also throughout its lifetime, to protect its security to the highest possible degree; and

(b) "security by default" means the default configuration of innovative technology to the most secure settings possible.