As standards enter the digital era, Malta wants to be among the first countries to seize the opportunities this transformation brings. This was the key message delivered at the Business Breakfast organised by the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) to mark World Standards Day 2026, under the theme ‘Digitally Enhanced Standards: Shaping Tomorrow’.
World Standards Day is celebrated internationally every October to recognise the contribution of standards to safety, trade, innovation and sustainable development.
Standards are agreed rules of good practice that ensure products and services are safe, reliable, and fit for purpose. Traditionally, they have been published as lengthy documents that businesses must interpret themselves. Digital standards transform these documents into intelligent information that is easier to search and keep up to date, helping to reduce bureaucracy, costs and errors while strengthening consumer safety and confidence. Through its Standards and Metrology Institute, the MCCAA will continue to support Maltese businesses as they adapt to this transformation.
Minister for European Funds, Social Dialogue and Consumer Protection, Keith Azzopardi Tanti, addressed the event organised by MCCAA which brought together industry representatives, standards experts, regulators and academics. Keynote addresses were delivered by Dr Scott Steedman of the British Standards Institution, the United Kingdom’s national standards body, and Mr Christoph Winterhalter of the German Institute for Standardization, Germany’s national standards body. The keynote speeches were followed by a panel discussion featuring representatives from Malta’s regulatory, industry, professional and academic sectors.
The discussion focused on the global shift from standards issued in PDF format towards more accessible and digitally enabled systems. Digital standards make requirements easier to search, link related requirements, alert users to changes, and integrate with the tools already used by professionals. This month, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is beginning a limited global soft launch of such standards, starting with ISO 9001 on quality management and ISO 14001 on environmental management.
Minister Keith Azzopardi Tanti stated that data-driven standards can simplify compliance, strengthen consumer protection and provide Maltese businesses with faster and easier access to the most up-to-date European requirements. The minister also reiterated Malta’s commitment to actively contributing to the development of international standards rather than simply adopting them.
MCCAA Executive Chairperson Carmen Ciantar said that the Authority will lead this transition and will work closely with European and international partners. She placed digital standards, ImportaMT and the Trust You scheme within a broader effort to build a national ecosystem of trust. “Every initiative we develop must support businesses and protect consumers at the same time. We will keep moving forward, because every step we take is a step towards safer consumers and stronger businesses,” stated Ms Ciantar.
