Malta has introduced its new National Data Strategy at SEMIC 2017 Conference in Valetta. This strategy also promotes the once-only principle, where citizens and businesses have to provide their information only once to a public administration. On a long term, this could lead to an abolishment of forms and gives public administrations the possibility to share necessary information amongst each other. 

The strategy consists of four different parts that are related to each other:

1. Data-Driven Public Administration is the main document that includes the main principles of the strategy and best practices.
2. The National Data Infrastructure describes the main building blocks or platforms that are the basis the data infrastructure.
3. Base Registers for Enterprise Data Sharing explains Malta´s approach at creating and using the person and the address registry as foundation on which the line-of-business the corporate data layer can be mapped. 

The National Data Infrastructure will consist of four integrated data platforms that shall ensure that the once-only principle will be implemented on a national level before using it for an cross-border data exchange. These four main building blocks are: 

• The Authorisation, Representation and Authentication Platform
• The Foundation Data Layer Platform
• The Metadata, Mapping and Data Middleware Platform
• The National Data Portal and Data Services Platform

Malta´s way will also implement a new approach of data protection and try to find a way to ensure that only those data is used that is accredited and officially recognized. 

Further Information:

• Joinup: Presentation of Malta´s National Data Strategy (14.06.2017)
• Malta Information Technology Agency (MITA): Abolishing repetitive submissions of personal information to different Government Departments (20.07.2017)
• European Data Portal: once only principle in Malta (04.08.2017)