Europe’s top court ended Malta’s “golden passport” programme on Tuesday. It ruled that Malta violated EU law by allowing people to buy citizenship through investments.

Legal Action Began in 2022

According to Politico, the European Commission filed a legal case against Malta in 2022. The complaint focused on a scheme that gave foreign nationals a Maltese passport for a one-time investment of at least €600,000. Since Malta is part of the EU, this passport also gave access to the entire European Union.

Court Calls It Citizenship for Sale

In its decision, the Court of Justice of the European Union strongly criticised the scheme. It said the programme turned EU citizenship into a product for sale. Moreover, the court noted it damaged “good faith” and “mutual trust” between EU member states.

Although Malta stopped offering the scheme to Russian and Belarusian citizens after Russia invaded Ukraine, earlier reports showed that some sanctioned Russian oligarchs had already received Maltese passports.

Malta Agrees to Follow the Ruling

In response, Malta’s government said it would respect the court’s decision. Politico quoted the government saying, “As always, the government of Malta respects the decisions of the courts.”

Furthermore, the government added, “At this moment the legal implications of this judgment are being studied in detail, so that the regulatory framework on citizenship can then be brought in line with the principles outlined in the judgment.”

Additionally, Malta confirmed that people who already received passports under the scheme would not be affected. The programme had brought in hundreds of millions of euros in revenue.

EU Welcomes the Court's Decision

Meanwhile, a European Commission spokesperson welcomed the ruling. The spokesperson stated, “European citizenship is not for sale.”

Moreover, the spokesperson said, “We expect Malta to comply with this decision and apply it accordingly.” The Commission also urged all EU countries to shut down similar investment-for-citizenship schemes.

Cyprus and Bulgaria Took Action Earlier

Previously, both Cyprus and Bulgaria ended their golden passport schemes. In fact, Cyprus revoked several passports, mainly issued to Russian nationals. As a result, NGOs praised the court’s decision as a major step toward closing loopholes in EU citizenship laws.

Transparency International’s CEO Maíra Martini said, “Today’s judgment confirms that member states cannot commodify EU citizenship and operate reckless golden passport programmes.”

Former PM Rejects the Verdict

On the other hand, former Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who started the scheme in 2014, rejected the court's judgment. In a Facebook post, he called the ruling politically motivated. He also accused European Parliament President Roberta Metsola of “working against our country.”

Currently, Muscat is under investigation in Malta over alleged corruption.