NGO Legislation in Malta in Comparative Perspective

The Voluntary Sector in Malta has mainly developed through the work carried out by Roman Catholic Church organisations, but it has evolved over the years to include organisations that promote the social, economic, political and environmental development of the country. For several years the sector was regulated through provisions which were scattered in several laws and it has survived with very little regulation. To better promote and develop the voluntary sector, a general legal framework was enacted in 2007, through the Voluntary Organisations Act. This research compares the Maltese legal framework with laws in England and Wales, Italy and France. Comparative studies are necessary as a means for developing the voluntary sector. The work aims at contributing towards such development and analyses the common features of the four legal systems to outline how the Maltese system compares and suggests ways how to improve it.