Crafts, SOLVIT, IMI & Copyright Unit
About us
The Unit is responsible for the following:
- Supporting the Registrar of Crafts, Craftspersons and Crafts Entrepreneurs and maintaining the relevant register
- Operating the SOLVIT centre for Malta
- Acting as Malta’s National IMI Coordinator
- Certain copyright matters (excluding enforcement)
- The organisation of the National Supporting Business Awards
Functions
1. Crafts
1.1 As the Office of the Registrar of Crafts, Craftspersons and Crafts Entrepreneurs, this Unit is responsible for maintaining the Crafts Register, for processing of applications for the registration of craftspersons and crafts entrepreneurs, for encouraging potential applicants to submit an application for registration in the crafts register, for providing certificate tags which craftspersons can attach to their products and certificates which craftspersons can affix in their retails outlet. Interested crafts persons can register with this office on a voluntary basis and registration is free of charge. An application can be submitted online on: www.craftsregister.gov.mt/register-application. Should the applicant require assistance, the unit can guide the applicant to fill in and submit the form.
2. SOLVIT
This Unit acts as the Malta SOLVIT Centre. SOLVIT is a network that aims to resolve problems that citizens and businesses encounter when exercising their Internal Market rights.
Some areas in which SOLVIT can help a EU citizen or business when these face problems with an entity in the public administration in another EU country, are:
- Getting your professional qualifications recognised
- Visa & residence rights
- Trade & services (businesses)
- Vehicles & driving licences
- Family benefits
- Pension rights
- Working abroad
- Unemployment benefits
- Health insurance
- Access to education
- Cross-border movement of capital or payments
- VAT refunds.
SOLVIT cannot help:
- if your company is having problems with another company
- if you have a consumer-related problem
- if you are seeking compensation for damages
- if you take your case to court (due to its informal nature, SOLVIT cannot run in parallel with formal or legal proceedings).
More information can be found on: http://ec.europa.eu/solvit/
A case can be submitted to SOLVIT via the following link:
http://ec.europa.eu/eu-rights/enquiry-complaint-form/home?languageCode=en&origin=solvit-web
3. Internal Market Information (IMI) System
This Unit is Malta’s National IMI Coordinator (NIMIC). IMI is an online platform which helps Competent Authorities communicate with their counterparts in other EU Member States.
Apart from being easily adaptable for different legal modules, the system is also multilingual. Currently IMI has 97 administrative cooperation procedures in 20 different policy areas.
For more information go to: http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/imi-net/index_en.htm
4. Copyright
This Unit follows discussions and developments on copyright at an EU level. It also undertakes any updates to national legislation resulting either from national requirements or from EU directives in the area of copyright.
Enforcement of copyright does not fall within the remit of the Commerce Department.
5. National Supporting Business Awards
This Unit in collaboration with the Policy Development and Programme Implementation Directorate within the Ministry for the Economy and Industry organises this competition with the aim of increasing awareness of the importance of entrepreneurship both on a local and on a national level.
The competition consists of two sections. Section A section is open to Government Entities such as ministries, departments, local councils, public authorities and entities and public-private partnerships. Section B is open to NGOs, trade unions, professional associations, public schools and church schools, public educational institutions, University of Malta and associations representing sectors in business and industry and SMEs (who can only participate in Category 6).
A maximum of two initiatives submitted for the NSBA competition are nominated to represent Malta in the European Enterprise Promotion Awards. These nominees, together with nominees for other EU Member States and the 27 Member States of the European Union as well as associate countries of the SME pillar of the Single Market Programme Support to SMEswill compete in this prestigious competition that offers extensive exposure and media coverage to the nominated projects. The EEPA is held as part of the SME Assembly which is organised every year in October or November in the Member State which is hosting the Council of Ministers of the EU.
Contact Details
Crafts, SOLVIT and Copyright Unit
Commerce Department
Lascaris Bastions
Daħlet Ġnien is-Sultan
Valletta VLT 1933
Emails
Crafts
[email protected]
SOLVIT
[email protected]