Provisions from Periti Act, regulations governing architects’ profession come into force

Through a series of Legal Notices published in the last few days in the Government Gazette, various parts of the 2021 Periti Act entered into force and a number of regulations were introduced. These will govern the architects’ profession, the government said in a statement.

After a consultation process between the Ministry for Public Works and Planning and the Chamber of Architects, regulations were established regarding the warrants that are issued to architects so that they are in line with the requirements of the Periti Act of 2021,

which regulations are now coming into force. These new regulations provide guidelines to those who intend taking a course of study leading to this profession by distinguishing between two routes to access the profession, namely that of Perit Arkitett and that of Perit Inġinier Ċivili. These regulations are also reflecting the changes that have been made recently in the study areas at the University of Malta.

The published regulations provide the procedure that must be adopted when applying for the warrant and establish the minimum qualifications needed of core subjects that a student must possess to either take the warrant of a Perit Arkitett or Perit Inġinier Ċivili.

Other new regulations that are entering into force are those that regulate the work of the Board that issues warrants to Architects. Following a consultation process with the Chamber of Architects, regulations were established to govern the work of the Periti Warranting Board in accordance with what is being requested by the 2021 Periti Act.

The regulations lay down the list of responsibilities of the Board which has the authority to act as the competent Authority for the Architects’ profession. The regulations establish the actions that the Board must take whenever this is requested by other competent authorities of other European Union

Member States.

Another important aspect in these regulations relates to the procedure that must be adopted by the Chamber of Architects in the organisation of an election to appoint its representatives on the Periti Warranting Board. One of the responsibilities of the Periti Warranting Board is to keep and publish every year in the Government Gazette and on its website, the register of all those who have a Perit warrant. The Chamber of Architects must be notified within a week of the issuance of each new warrant and to verify the formal academic qualifications of each applicant for the warrant. The latest new regulations that have been published concern transposition provisions regarding the mutual recognition of architects’ qualifications from certain countries in accordance with directives arising from European Union regulations.