Malta established an Exclusive Economic Zone in law for the first time.
Documentary fact. Malta enacted its Exclusive Economic Zone Act in late 2024, formally declaring an EEZ extending up to 200 nautical miles in domestic law for the first time. Previously Malta had territorial waters (12 nm) and a contiguous zone, but no formal EEZ declaration. The legal establishment was specifically motivated by the need to provide a clear jurisdictional basis for the offshore wind project, fishing-rights enforcement, and seabed resource management.
Documentary fact. Malta enacted its Exclusive Economic Zone Act in late 2024, formally declaring an EEZ extending up to 200 nautical miles in domestic law for the first time. Previously Malta had territorial waters (12 nm) and a contiguous zone, but no formal EEZ declaration. The legal establishment was specifically motivated by the need to provide a clear jurisdictional basis for the offshore wind project, fishing-rights enforcement, and seabed resource management.
We tested Abela's claim against (1) the Exclusive Economic Zone Act 2024 (Act of Parliament) and its enabling provisions, (2) the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) framework that Malta is party to, (3) Maltese Parliament Hansard records of the EEZ Act debate, and (4) Maltese Foreign Ministry / Continental Shelf Department documentation of pre-2024 maritime jurisdiction.
True. Malta's Exclusive Economic Zone Act became law in 2024, formally declaring an EEZ extending up to 200 nautical miles from baselines (subject to median-line adjustments with neighbouring states — Italy, Tunisia, Libya). Prior to this, Malta had not legally declared an EEZ — only territorial waters (12 nm) and a contiguous zone. The legal step was specifically needed to provide a clear jurisdictional basis for offshore renewable-energy projects (the offshore wind tender), fishing-rights enforcement, and seabed resource management. The 'first time' framing is correct: this was the first formal EEZ declaration in Maltese law. Limitations: Malta had de-facto exercised some EEZ-like rights through bilateral median-line agreements with Italy and other neighbours over decades, but never declared a unified EEZ in domestic legislation until 2024. The procedural 'first time' is unambiguous.
Did Malta really establish its Exclusive Economic Zone in law for the first time
EEZ law is a topic that sounds dry but matters enormously for Malta's renewable-energy strategy and broader maritime sovereignty.
What an EEZ is and why Malta hadn't declared one until 2024
Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, 1982), coastal states have the option to declare an Exclusive Economic Zone extending up to 200 nautical miles from their baselines. Within the EEZ, the state has:
- Sovereign rights over natural resources in the water column, on the seabed, and in the subsoil.
- Jurisdiction over artificial structures (including offshore wind turbines, oil platforms, scientific research stations).
- Jurisdiction over marine environmental protection.
Other states retain freedom of navigation and overflight through the EEZ — it is not territorial waters.
Most maritime EU states declared their EEZs in the 1980s or 1990s. Malta did not — partly because of the small geographic distance to neighbouring states (Italy, Tunisia, Libya) which complicates median-line negotiations, partly because nothing immediate was driving the declaration. Malta did declare a 25-nautical-mile fishing zone (later replaced by EU Common Fisheries Policy arrangements) and a contiguous zone, but no full EEZ.
What changed in 2024
Malta enacted the Exclusive Economic Zone Act in late 2024. Key provisions:
- Formal declaration of an EEZ extending up to 200 nautical miles from baselines, subject to median-line adjustments.
- Specification of Malta's economic-rights jurisdiction within the zone, including offshore renewable-energy projects.
- Framework for environmental impact assessment within the EEZ.
- Enforcement mechanisms for resource management and unauthorised activities.
The legal step was specifically motivated by the offshore wind project (covered in D11–D13). Without a declared EEZ, Malta would have had no clear jurisdictional basis to award a concession for an offshore wind farm beyond its 12-nautical-mile territorial waters. The Act was tabled, debated, and passed in time to underpin the December 2024 PQQ launch.
Median-line negotiations with neighbours
An EEZ declaration triggers maritime-boundary discussions with adjacent states. Malta's EEZ overlaps in principle with those of Italy, Tunisia, and Libya, requiring median-line adjustments. These discussions are at varying stages:
- Italy — established cooperation framework already in place; updates ongoing post-EEZ declaration.
- Tunisia — historic Continental Shelf agreement (1971) provides a baseline; additional talks initiated.
- Libya — long-standing complications given Libyan internal politics; status remains uncertain.
Why the 'first time' framing is correct
Malta had previously had territorial waters (12 nm) and various other declared zones (contiguous zone, fishing zone). But it had never declared a full EEZ in domestic law. Abela's specific phrasing — 'qatt ma kellna żona stabbilita bis-saħħa tal-liġi' — is technically correct.
So is the claim accurate?
Yes. The 2024 Exclusive Economic Zone Act was Malta's first formal legal declaration of an EEZ, motivated by the need to underpin the offshore renewable-energy project. Verdict: True.