29 NOV 2016 – Dr Alison Vassallo from our Yachting Department was invited to deliver a presentation during VAT Malta 2016, a day conference organised by Society Education on the 29th November 2016 titled: An Overview of Recent ECJ Judgements Affecting the Supply of Duty Free Fuel to Yachts and the Future of Yacht Charter Contracts.

Following the ECJ cases Helmoltz and Haltergemeinschaft (1 December and 21 December 2011), France was invited by the EU Commission to modify its excise legislation on the exemption of excise duties on the supply of fuel for commercial vessels. These judgements are to be viewed within the context of the Bacino case (December 2010) which dealt with the application of VAT on charters and which brought with it significant changes in the yachting industry.

Given that these changes ultimately have an effect on Malta it is important to keep abreast of such developments and to analyse what effects, if any, these will have on the future of yacht charter contracts.