New Malta Commercial Yacht Code

On 20 May this year, the Transport Malta’s Merchant Shipping Directorate published a revised Commercial Yacht Code (the CYC). The new 2025 CYC came into effect on 1 July and replaced the previous CYC, which had been in force since 2020.

The guidance published with the 2025 CYC states that it “sets the required standards of safety, security, pollution prevention and crew welfare which are appropriate for the type and size of the yacht” and local coverage in Malta highlights that the 2025 CYC is intended to reflect technological advancements and drive sustainability in the industry.

One of the more notable, but perhaps less publicised, changes in the 2025 CYC is the provision relating to yachts over 500GT which are registered and operate privately, not commercially, and the extent to which these yachts should comply with the CYC.

The 2020 CYC stated that it is “advisable and recommended” for such yachts to voluntarily comply with the CYC and obtain a Statement of Compliance. However, the 2025 CYC takes this further, noting such yachts shall comply, “as far as reasonable and practicable with the applicable requirements” of the 2025 CYC and shall be subject to an initial survey with the same criteria as that for a commercial yacht under the 2025 CYC. The 2025 CYC goes on to state that for private yachts ≥ 500GT it is “strongly recommended” that a survey is carried out every 5 years in order to ensure and ascertain the yacht’s continued compliance with the applicable sections of the 2025 CYC.

This change appears to increase the regulation of large privately operated yachts and recognise that previous regulatory frameworks were simply not devised in contemplation of private yachts of the size and scale that we are now seeing in operation.