Six months after officially responding to letters of formal notice of infringement procedures, Malta still awaits comments from the European Commission.
The Chinese dominated the golden visa during the early years before falling to a record-low in 2020. In 2021, they are returning in force.
“There will be quarters with different motives where they feel the need to object [to the MEIN policy],” Secretary Muscat tells IMI.
Risks related to investment migration had been the subject of “significant exaggeration” and were “primarily theoretical in nature.”
Giegold openly denounced von der Leyen in the European Parliament, accusing her of “extending an open invitation to criminals.”
See requirements and forms, procedures, the code of conduct, the licensing requirements, the policy handbook, and analysis of the MEIN here.
“Malta is willing to take all legal paths to ensure nationality and […] will defend this position even if the case is taken to the ECJ,”
IMC-boss Bruno L’ecuyer explains how infringement procedures work, how common they are, and what they will mean for Malta and Cyprus.
Secretary Muscat is annoyed at comparisons to Cyprus and that he can find no legal reasons to end citizenship by investment in Malta.
Roderick Cutajar asks: International banks are used for money laundering. Will the European Commission demand a “phase-out” of banking?
Legal scholars, the IMC, and Malta signal fierce resistance as Brussels aims to seize powers of naturalization from EU member states.
MUST-READ: Prof Kochenov delivers a scathing rebuke of the Commission’s infringement action: “Unquestionably ultra vires and absolutely unacceptable.”
Cyprus and Malta must now provide “satisfactory” answers within two months or see the matter referred to the European Court of Justice.
The Commission wants genuine links in the form of several years of residency. That is precisely what a CIP cannot ask of its participants.
Maltese government: “The importance of such a programme for an economy that has suffered from a devastating pandemic is growing, rather than diminishing.”
You can tick all the boxes they ask you to and comply with all their demands but, come next year, the goalposts will have been moved and new boxes added.
The 35 Chinese applicants demand an immediate granting of their visas, compensation, and the bringing to justice of the responsible bureaucrats.
Transparency International has won a court case that will compel Portuguese authorities to share more data on the golden visa program.
“The Commission monitors investor citizenship schemes in the context of the EU accession process,” said Jourova during an interview with the Albanian press.
The Cypriot government says it will revoke 26 citizenships granted before 2018. Among the individuals affected are eight Cambodians and one Malaysian.
