The Malta Resources Authority is a public corporate body set up in 2000 through the Malta Resources Act, responsible to regulate water, energy and mineral resources, to promote energy efficiency and renewables, and with responsibilities in oil exploration and climate change.
The Regulator for Energy and Water Services Act, 2015, changed the MRA’s responsibilities mainly to drilling and abstraction metering, mineral resource regulation and climate change reporting and operation of the emission trading scheme. Grant schemes, swimming pool licences and energy and water services licences are among the functions of the Regulator for Energy and Water Services.
Energy efficiency, renewable sources of energy, the water framework regulations (inland waters) and protection of groundwater are among the functions of the Energy and Water Agency;
Prior to 1 August 2015
Article 4 of the MRA Act established the functions of the Authority and gave responsibilities essentially involving regulation of practices, operations and activities in the energy, water and minerals sectors. This broadly can be considered to incorporate the regulation of:
- The national utilities and service providers for energy and water namely Enemalta Corporation and the Water Services Corporation and their subsidiary companies;
- Industrial enterprises exploiting resources such as quarry owners and abstractors of groundwater;
- Retailers and operators in the regulated sectors including: operators of petrol stations, gas and kerosene delivery entities, offshore bunkering companies, private operators of desalination plants and operators of road tankers;
- Tradesmen such as electricians.
The Authority is also responsible for climate change, and has the function to promote energy efficiency and renewable sources of energy.
The structure of the Authority includes the following sections under the responsibility of the CEO:
- Climate change and policy with responsibility for climate change (adaptation, mitigation, EU reporting), national policy, renewable sources of energy and energy efficiency;
- Regulation with responsibility for regulatory instruments, price structure regulation, hydrogeology, EU affairs and ICT;
- Utility regulation with responsibility for utility (Enemalta and WSC) regulation and licensing;
- Finance and corporate services with responsibility for finance and corporate services;
- Competence, licensing and enforcement with responsibility for licensing, enforcement, customer care, MEPA/IPPC consultations and aid schemes