CONCESSIONS REVIEW BOARD REGULATIONS

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 595.15

CONCESSIONS REVIEW BOARD REGULATIONS

10th July, 2015

LEGAL NOTICE 214 of 2015.

PART I

General Provisions

The title of these regulations is the Concessions Review

Board Regulations.

For the purposes of these regulations, unless the context

otherwise requires -

"the Act" means the Public Administration Act;

"Board" means the board established in terms of regulation 4;

"candidate" means a natural or legal person or entity or group of

such persons and, or bodies participating in a procurement

procedure, including, without limitation, any aggrieved person

having or having had an interest in obtaining a particular contract;

"Constitution" means the Constitution of Malta;

"contract" means any contract for pecuniary interest concluded

in writing between one or more economic operators and one or

more procuring entities having as its main object the entrustment of

the provision and management of concessions to one such, or more,

economic operators, the consideration for which consists either

solely in the right to exploit those services or works that are the

subject of the contract or in that right together with payment;

"complainant" means any candidate who files a complaint with

the Board in accordance with the provisions of regulation 30;

"government agency" or "agency" means a body listed in the

Fourth Schedule to the Act;

"government department" or "department" means any entity in

the Public Service that is listed in the Second Schedule to the Act;

" g o v e r n m e n t e n t i t y " m e a n s a n o rg a n i s a t i o n , n o t b e i n g a

government department, a government agency or a commercial

partnership, in which Government has a controlling interest,

whether or not such organisation is established by law;

"procurement procedure" means a process initiated by a

procuring entity leading to the award of a concession contract and

which process falls outside the scope of the Public Procurement

Regulations and of the Public Procurement of Entities Operating in

t h e Wa t e r, E n e rg y Tr a n s p o r t a n d P o s t a l S e r v i c e s S e c t o r s

Regulations;

"procuring entity" means the Government, any government

department, government agency or government entity;

"Public Service" shall have the same meaning assigned to it by

the Constitution, but shall, for the purposes of these regulations, be

understood in accordance with article 2(1) and (2) of the Act;

"recommended candidate" means the candidate who had been

indicated in the adjudication decision of the procuring entity as the

one to whom the contract was to be awarded;

"Secretary" means the Secretary of the Board;

"working days" means days other than a Saturday, Sunday or a

public holiday or national holidays in Malta.

These regulations provide for the determination of

complaints from candidates against any decision of a procuring

entity in relation to the procurement procedure, including any

decision to disqualify and, or exclude the candidate from a

procurement procedure, any decision to award a contract, and any

inclusion of technical, economic or financial specification in the

invitation to tender, contract documents or in any other document

relating to such procedure.

There shall be established a review board to be known as

the Concessions Review Board which shall be regulated in terms of

these regulations.

It shall be the function of the Board to hear and determine

complaints submitted by candidates in terms of regulations 30 and

Entità ta’ akkwist tista’ tagħti d-drittijiet ta’ reviżjoni

msemmija f’dawn ir-regolamenti billi tinkludi referenza speċifika

fis-sejħa għall-offerti jew f ’talba għall-proposti, u f ’dawn il-

k a ż i j i e t g ħ a n d h a t i n k l u d i k o p j a t a t - Ta q s i m a I I I m a l - i s t e s s

dokum enti. Dawn ir-regolam enti għandhom japp likaw għal

proċeduri ta’ akkwist li jkunu bdew qabel il-promulgazzjoni ta’

dawn ir-regolamenti jekk l-entità ta’ akkwist tinnotifika lill-

kandidati li hija tissottometti ruħha għall-ġurisdizzjoni tal-Bord fir-

rigward tal-proċedura ta’ akkwist rilevanti.

TAQSIMA II

Komposizzjoni u Setgħat tal-Bord

Il-Bord għandu jkun kompost minn Chairperson u żewġ

membri oħra li għandhom ikunu maħtura mill-Prim Ministru għal

perjodu ta’ tliet snin, liema perjodu ma jistax jiġi estiż jew

imġedded.

Persuna ma tkunx kwalifikata biex tkun maħtura bħala

Chairperson tal-Bord sakemm ma tkunx eżerċitat bħala avukat

f ’Malta għal perjodu ta’, jew perjodi sħaħ li jammontaw għal,

mhux inqas minn seba’ snin.

Persuna ma tkunx kwalifikata biex tkun maħtura jew

tkompli żżomm il-kariga ta’ membru tal-Bord, jekk tkun

(a) Ministru, Segretarju Parlamentari, Membru tal-Kamra

tad-Deputati, jew tal-Parlament Ewropew jew ta’

Kunsill Lokali, uffiċjal pubbliku jew impjegat ta’ xi

entità jew xi aġenzija tal-gvern; jew

(b) instabet ħatja ta’ xi reat punibbli bi priġunerija għal

kull żmien li jkun; jew

(ċ) skwalifikata milli tiġi eletta bħala membru tal-Kamra

tad-Deputati għal xi waħda mir-raġunijiet imsemmija

fl-artikolu 54(1)(a), (ċ), (d), (e), (f), (g) jew (h) tal-

Kostituzzjoni.

Persuna għandha tkun skwalifikata milli tkun maħtura jew

tkompli tkun membru tal-Bord jekk ikollha xi interess finanzjarju,

ekonomiku jew xi interess personali ieħor li x’aktarx jippreġudika

l-qadi xieraq tal-funzjonijiet tagħha bħala membru tal-Bord.

Iċ-Chairperson jew membri oħra tal-Bord jistgħu

jitneħħew individwalment mill-kariga mill-Prim Ministru

minħabba f’inkapaċità ppruvata li jaqdu d-dmirijiet ta’ dik il-kariga

(sew minħabba mard mentali jew korporali jew għal xi raġuni oħra)

jew minħabba f’imġieba ħażina ppruvata.

Iċ-Chairperson jew membru ieħor tal-Bord ikun

skwalifikat milli jipparteċipa fs-smigħ ta’ ilment f ’dawk iċ -

ċirkostanzi li kieku jiskwalifikaw maġistrat jew imħallef f’kawża

ċivili.

Membru tal-Bord li jista’ jkollu xi interess dirett jew

indirett f’xi kuntratt li jkun fil-qofol ta’ xi ilment għandu jgħarraf

bil-miktub liċ-Chairperson b’dak l-interess li jkollu u f’dak il-każ

il-membru jiġi prekluż milli jkompli jipparteċipa fis-smigħ tal-

ilment.

Il-Prim Ministru jista’ jaħtar persuna bħala sostitut, jew

dak l-għadd ta’ persuni bħala sostituti, bħala Chairperson u bħala

membri tal-Bord, u f’dak il-każ il-membri jibqgħu f’dik il-kariga

matul dak iż-żmien li jiġi hekk stabbilit minn qabel, skont dak it-

tqassim ta’ dmirijiet, inklużi dispożizzjonijiet dwar l-inkapaċità ta’

membri li jservu u ċirkostanzi oħra, hekk kif jistgħu jiġu stabbiliti

mill-Prim Ministru.

Il-Bord għandu jkun assistit minn Segretarju.

Il-membri

tal-Bord

għandhom

jirċievu

dik

ir-

rimunerazzjoni li l-Prim Ministru jista’ jiddetermina minn żmien

għal żmien b’ordni ppublikata fil-Gazzetta. Din ir-rimunerazzjoni

ma tistax tinbidel għall-iżvantaġġ tal-membri matul il-perjodu tal-

kariga tagħhom.

Il-membri tal-Bord m’għandhomx jinżammu personalment

responsabbli għal xi att jew ommissjoni li jsiru b’bona fede waqt li

jkunu qegħdin jaqdu dmirijiethom bħala membri tal-Bord.

Il-Bord jkollu s-setgħa li jħarrek xhieda, jamministra

ġuramenti u li jikseb parir espert minn barra l-entità li tkun qed

tagħmel l-akkwist biex jassistih fl-investigazzjonijiet tiegħu.

Is-sessjonijiet tal-Bord li matulhom jinstema’ l-ilment

għandhom isiru bil-miftuħ. Kemm min ikun qed jagħmel l-ilment u

kemm il-kandidat rakkomandat, jekk ikun hemm, ikollhom il-jedd

li jattendu u li jkollhom magħhom persuna, professjonali jew

xort’oħra, li huma jqisu li tkun xierqa biex tiddefendi l-interessi

tagħhom.

Iċ-Chairperson għandu s-setgħa li jistabbilixxi l-proċedura

għas-smigħ tal-ilmenti kollha li jsiru lill-Bord u għandu jiżgura li

matul is-smigħ li jsir bil-miftuħ kull parti li jkollha interess

tingħata l-opportunità li tressaq il-każ tagħha.

Ir-reviżjoni għandha ssir mill-Bord qabel ma jibda l-istadju

li jmiss tal-proċess ta’ aġġudikazzjoni u, jew qabel l-għotja tal-

kuntratt skont kif ikun il-każ.

Il-proċedura li għandha tiġi segwita mill-Bord għandha

tikkonsisti f ’reviżjoni tad-deċiżjoni tal-bord tal-aġġudikazzjoni

sabiex jiġi determinat jekk id-deċiżjoni kinitx, fis-sustanza, skont

il-liġi u d-dokumentazzjoni li tirregola l-proċedura ta’ akkwist

rilevanti. Il-Bord m’għandux jissostitwixxi d-diskrezzjoni tiegħu

għal dik tal-bord tal-aġġudikazzjoni.

Fit-twettiq tal-obbligu msemmi fir-regolament 22, kull

membru tal-Bord jista’ jagħmel mistoqsijiet xierqa lir-

rappreżentant ta’ xi entità ta’ akkwist kif ukoll lill-membri tal-

bordijiet aġġudikanti rispettivi u li jirrikorri għad-dokumentazzjoni

kollha rilevanti.

Meta jlesti mir-reviżjoni tal-ilment, il-Bord jista’ jagħmel

waħda jew iżjed minn dawn li ġejjin

(a) jannulla kwalunkwe ħaġa li tkun għamlet l-entità ta’

akkwist fil-proċedura tal-akkwist, inkluż li jannulla l-

proċedura tal-akkwist fl-intier tagħha; u

(b) jagħti direzzjonijiet lill-entità ta’ akkwist fir-rigward

ta’ dak kollu li jrid isir jew isir mill-ġdid fil-proċedura

tal-akkwist.

Il-Bord jista’ jiddeċiedi li jikkonċedi miżuri ad interim

jekk, wara li jkun ikkunsidra l-konsegwenzi probabbli tal-miżuri

dwar l-interessi kollha li x’aktarx issirilhom ħsara, flimkien mal-

interess pubbliku involut, jikkonkludi illi l-benefiċċji tal-miżuri

għandhom jeċċedu l-konsegwenzi negattivi tagħhom.

Id-deċiżjoni tal-Bord għandha tkun finali safejn tkun

tikkonċerna l-għotja tal-kuntratt rilevanti u, jew l-iskwalifika minn

jew l-integrazzjoni mill-ġdid ta’ kandidat fil-proċedura tal-akkwist

Iżda, minkejja d-drittijiet tal-kandidat skont it-Taqsima IV,

l-entità ta’ akkwist għandha l-awtorità li tipproċedi bil-proċedura

tal-akkwist, inkluż l-għotja u l-eż ekuzzjoni tal-kuntratt ma’

k an did at , hekk kif id-deċ iż jo ni t al-Bo rd tkun pub blik ata u

notifikata lill-partijiet kollha interessati

Iżda wkoll li, kandidati jkunu projbiti milli jitolbu xi qorti

li toħroġ mandati kawtelatorji kontra l-entità ta’ akkwist sabiex

iwaqqfu lill-entità ta’ akkwist milli tipproċedi bil-proċedura ta’

akkwist, inkluż l-għotja u l-eżekuzzjoni tal-kuntratt ma’ kandidat.

Id-deċiżjonijiet tal-Bord għandhom preferibbilment ikunu

unanimi

Iżda d-deċiżjonijiet li jittieħdu b’maġġoranza għandhom

ikunu finali u konklużivi fir-rigward tal-għoti tal-kuntratt

Iżda wkoll iċ-Chairperson u ż-żewġ membri l-oħra għandu

jkollhom vot kull wieħed.

Id-deċiżjonijiet kollha li jittieħdu mill-Bord għandhom

jitniżżlu bil-miktub, jiġu ffirmati mill-membri kollha tal-Bord u

datati. Il-Bord għandu jindika r-raġunijiet li jkunu wasslu għal dik

id-deċiżjoni u d-deċiżjoni għandha tinkludi l-konklużjonijiet, li

għandhom jorbtu lill-entità ta’ akkwist u lill-kandidati kollha

involuti.

Fid-deċiżjoni tiegħu, il-Bord għandu jiddeċiedi jekk

depożitu li jkun sar mill-kandidat skont id-disposizzjonijiet tar-

regolament 31 għandux jingħata lura, kollu kemm hu jew parti

minnu, jew xort’ oħra, billi jagħti raġunijiet bil-miktub għal dik id-

deċiżjoni, u d-deċiżjoni tal-Bord għandha tkun finali u torbot.

TAQSIMA III

Proċedura għall-preżentata u s-smigħ tal-ilmenti

Kull kandidat li jħossu aggravat b’xi deċiżjoni ta’ entità

tal-akkwist dwar il-proċedura ta’ akkwist, inkluż kull deċiżjoni li

tiskwalifika u, jew li teskludi xi kandidat mill-proċedura tal-

akkwist, kull deċiżjoni ta’ għotja ta’ kuntratt, u kull inklużjoni ta’

speċifikazzjonijiet tekniċi, ekonomiċi jew finanzjarji f’sejħa għall-

offerti, dokumenti ta’ kuntratt jew f’kull dokument ieħor li għandu

x’jaqsam ma’ din il-proċedura, jista’, fi żmien għaxart (10) ijiem

kalendarji mid-data ta’ komunikazzjoni jew mid-data tal-

publikazzjoni tad-deċiżjoni mill-entità tal-akkwist, jippreżenta

lment fil-bini tal-entità tal-akkwist, li għandha minnufih twassal l-

ilment lis-Segretarju tal-Bord

Għall-finijiet

ta’

dan

ir-regolament,

"data

ta’

komunikazzjoni" tfisser il-ġurnata meta l-entità ta’ akkwist

tikkomunika deċiżjoni permezz ta’ fax, jew b’mezz elettroniku lill-

kandidati, jew fil-każ fejn il-kandidati għadhom m ’humiex

identifikati, fil-ġurnata meta l-entità tal-akkwist tikkomunika dik

id-deċiżjoni fuq is-sit elettroniku tagħha.

6. A procuring entity may grant the rights of review

mentioned in these regulations by including a specific reference

thereto in the invitation to tender or request for proposals and in

such cases shall include a copy of Part III in any such document.

These regulations shall apply to procurement procedures initiated

prior to the promulgation of these regulations if the procuring

entity notifies candidates that it submits to the jurisdiction of the

Board in relation to the relevant procurement procedure.

PART II

Composition and Powers of Board

7. The Board shall be composed of a Chairperson and two

other members who shall be appointed by the Prime Minister for a

period of three years which cannot be extended or otherwise

renewed.

8. A person shall not be qualified to be appointed as

Chairperson of the Board unless he has practised as an advocate in

Malta for a period of, or periods amounting in the aggregate to, not

less than seven years.

9. A person shall not be qualified to be appointed or continue

to hold office as a member of the Board, if he

(a) is a Minister, a Parliamentary Secretary, a Member of

the House of Representatives, or of the European

Parliament or a Local Council, a public officer or an

employee of a government entity or an agency; or

(b) has been convicted of any crime punishable by

imprisonment for any term; or

(c) is disqualified to be elected as a member of the House

of Representatives for any of the reasons stated in

article 54(1)(a), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) or (h) of the

Constitution.

10. A person shall be disqualified from being appointed or

continuing to be a member of the Board if he has a financial,

economic or other personal interest that is likely to prejudice the

discharge of his functions as a member of the Board.

11. The Chairperson or other members of the Board may be

individually removed by the Prime Minister from office on the

ground of proved inability to perform the functions of that office

(whether arising from infirmity of body or mind or any other cause)

or proved misbehaviour.

12. The Chairperson or other member of the Board shall be

disqualified from participating in the hearing of a complaint in such

circumstances as would disqualify a magistrate or judge in a civil

suit.

13. Any member of the Board who may have a direct or

indirect interest in any contract which becomes the subject of a

complaint shall inform the Chairperson in writing of such interest

i n w h i c h c a s e t h e m em b e r sh a l l b e p r e c l u d e d f r o m f u r t h e r

participation in the hearing of the complaint.

14. The Prime Minister may appoint a substitute or a number

of substitutes, as Chairperson and as members of the Board, in

which case the said substitute members shall serve for

predetermined periods of time, in accordance with such distribution

of duties, including provisions for inability of members to serve

and other circumstances, as the Prime Minister may establish.

15. The Board shall be assisted by a secretary.

16. The members of the Board shall receive such remuneration

as the Prime Minister may, by order to be published in the Gazette,

from time to time prescribe. Such remuneration may not be altered

to the disadvantage of the members during their period of office.

17. The members of the Board shall not be held personally

liable for any act or omission done in good faith in the course of the

exercise of their functions as members of the Board.

18. The Board shall be empowered to call witnesses, to

administer oaths and to seek expert advice from outside the

procuring entity to assist it in its investigations.

19. The sessions of the Board during which the complaint is

heard shall be held in public. The complainant and the

recommended candidate, if any, shall have the right to attend and to

be accompanied by any person, professional or otherwise, they

consider suitable to defend their interests.

20. The Chairperson shall have the power to determine the

procedure for the hearing of all complaints lodged with the Board

and shall ensure that during the public hearing all interested parties

are given the opportunity to make their case.

21. The review is to be effected by the Board before the next

stage of the adjudication process is commenced and, or before the

award of the contract, as the case may be.

22. The procedure to be followed by the Board shall consist in

a review of the decision of the adjudication board to determine

whether the decision was, in substance, in accordance with the law

and the documentation governing the relevant procurement

procedure. The Board shall not substitute its discretion for that of

the adjudication board.

23. In fulfilling the obligation referred to in regulation 22, any

m ember o f the Board may ask appropriate q uesti ons to the

representative of any procuring entity as well as to the members of

the respective adjudication boards and to have recourse to all

pertinent documentation.

24. Upon completing its review of a complaint, the Board may

do any one or more of the following

(a) annul anything the procuring entity has done in the

procurement procedure, including annulling the

procurement procedure in its entirety; and

(b) give directions to the procuring entity with respect to

anything to be done or redone in the procurement

procedure.

25. The Board may decide to grant interim measures if, after

having taken into consideration the probable consequences of the

measures for all interests likely to be harmed, together with the

public interest involved, it concludes that the benefits of the

measures are to exceed their negative consequences.

26. The decision of the Board shall be final insofar as it

concerns the award of the relevant contract and, or the

disqualification from or reintegration of a candidate in the

procurement procedure

Provided that, notwithstanding the candidate’s rights in

terms of Part IV, the procuring entity shall have the authority to

proceed with the procurement procedure, including the award and

execution of the contract with a candidate, as soon as the decision

of the Board is published and notified to all interested parties

Provided further that candidates shall be prohibited from

requesting any court to issue precautionary warrants against the

p rocu rin g ent ity in ord er t o sto p t he procuring enti ty fro m

proceeding with the procurement procedure, including the award

and execution of the contract with a candidate.

27. Decisions of the Board shall preferably be taken on the

basis of unanimity

Provided that decisions taken on the basis of majority shall

be final and binding with regard to the award of the contract

Provided further that the Chairperson and the other two

members shall have one vote each.

28. All decisions taken by the Board shall be rendered in

writing, signed by all the members of the Board and dated. The

Board shall indicate the reasons upon which such decision was

taken and the decision shall include its conclusions which shall be

binding on the procuring entity and all the candidates involved.

29. In its decision the Board shall decide whether any deposit

submitted by a candidate in terms of regulation 31 should be

refunded, in whole or in part, or otherwise, giving written reasons

for such conclusion and the conclusion of the Board shall be final

and binding.

PART III

Procedure for the submission and hearing of complaints

30. Any candidate who feels aggrieved either by any decision

of a procuring entity in relation to the procurement procedure,

including any decision to disqualify and, or exclude a candidate

from a procurement procedure, any decision to award a contract,

and any inclusion of technical, economic or financial specification

in the invitation to tender, contract documents or in any other

document relating to such procedure, may, within ten (10) calendar

days following the communication date or the date on which the

decision was published by the procuring entity, file a complaint at

the premises of the procuring entity, which shall deliver the

complaint to the Secretary of the Board forthwith

For the purposes of this regulation, "communication date"

means the day on which the procuring entity communicates a

decision by fax or electronic means to the candidates, or in the case

where the candidates are not yet identified, the day on which the

procuring entity communicates that decision by electronic means

on its website.

31. The complaint referred to in regulation 30 shall be valid

only if

(a) accompanied by a deposit in the amount specified by

the procuring entity in the procurement procedure, or

in the case of procurement procedures initiated prior to

the promulgation of these regulations, in the notice

issued by the procuring entity in terms of regulation 6

Provided that in no case shall the deposit be less than

one thousand and two hundred euro (€1,200) or more

than fifty-eight thousand euro (€58,000); and

(b) it sets out in detail the grounds for the complaint and is

accompanied by all supporting documentation.

The procuring entity shall be precluded from proceeding

with the adjudication process and, or with the award of the

contract, during the period of ten (10) calendar days allowed for the

submission of complaints, and, if a complaint is eventually

submitted, until the Board has issued a final decision in relation to

any complaints.

The procedure to be followed in

submitting

and

determining complaints shall be the following

(a) any decision by a procuring entity shall be made

CONCESSIONS REVIEW BOARD

public at the office of the procuring entity and by

electronic means;

(b) if the decision of the procuring entity is

(i)

the disqualification, rejection or exclusion of a

candidate, the procuring entity shall notify, by

fax or electronic means, the candidate concerned

setting out a summary of the relevant reasons

relating to the rejection of the candidate;

(ii) the award of a contract, the procuring entity

shall notify, by fax or electronic means, all

candidates still in the procurement procedure of

the proposed award and the basis for the award;

(c) any candidate who feels aggrieved by the decision of

the procuring entity must file a complaint within ten

(10) calendar days in accordance with the provisions

of regulation 30;

(d) the complaint duly filed in accordance with

regulations 30 and 31 together with all supporting

documentation shall be served on the recommended

candidate, if any;

(e) the recommended candidate, in the case of a proposed

contract award, shall have the right to file a reply to

the complaint filed by the complainant within ten (10)

calendar days from being notified with a copy of the

complaint. The reply shall be served upon the

complainant;

(f)

the Chairperson shall appoint the public hearing at the

earliest possible date after the expiry of the period

allowed to candidates for the filing of complaints as

set out in regulation 30 or, in the case of complaints

from a proposed award, after the expiry of the period

allowed to the recommended candidate as set out in

paragraph (d), as the case may be, and in any case not

later than three (3) working days, and all public

hearing sessions shall be concluded with urgency as

from the date of the first session;

(g) the decision of the Board shall be pronounced in

public within three (3) working days after the holding

of the final public hearing session and shall be

published at the premises of the procuring entity

Provided that if the Board is unable, for valid reasons,

to deliver its decision within the stipulated period, the

period shall be extended by a further period of three

(3) working days;

(h) the procuring entity shall immediately transmit a copy

of the decision of the Board to the complainant and the

recommended candidate, if any.

In its review, and unless otherwise specified in these

regulations, the Board shall consider a contract executed by the

procuring entity with a candidate to be ineffective, and thus shall

declare the contract as null from the date of the decision by the

Board if

(a) notwithstanding that a complaint is lodged before the

Board, the procuring entity concludes the contract

before a final decision is given by the Board;

(b) the contract is concluded by the procuring entity

before the expiry of the period allowed for the filing of

complaints as provided for in regulation 30.

PART IV

Right of appeal

Any candidate who feels aggrieved by a decision taken by

the Board in terms of these regulations may appeal to the Court of

Appeal (Inferior Jurisdiction), as constituted in terms of article 41

of the Code of Organization and Civil Procedure, on a point of law

arising out of a final decision of the Board within a period of ten

(10) calendar days from the date of the final decision of the Board.

Recourse to the Court of Appeal in terms of regulation 35

shall not however preclude or delay the procuring entity from

implementing the Board’s final decision.

In any appeal brought before the Court of Appeal in terms

of regulation 35, it shall be lawful for the applicant to claim

damages.

Article 469A of the Code of Organization and Civil

Procedure shall not apply in respect of any decision of the Board.