Malta has no intermediate tier of regional government with legislative powers. Since the Local Government Act (Cap. 363, 1993) was substantially amended by Act XIV of 2019, the six Regional Councils — Gozo, Northern, Western, Eastern, Southern and Port — have been formally established as inter-local coordinating bodies composed of representatives of the local councils within each region. Their statutory remit covers waste management, regional services and inter-locality coordination; since 2022 they have also held a coordinating role in culture.
The Regional Cultural Strategies 2022–2027, launched at the end of 2022, were developed jointly by Arts Council Malta, the Local Government Division (which sat within the culture ministry until the June 2026 general election and is now under the Ministry for Local Government and Public Works) and the Local Councils’ Association, with each regional council leading the identification of regional cultural needs and priorities. The six strategies are tailored to each region but share common themes: developing local talent, increasing community cultural participation, and fostering innovation in heritage and the arts. The Gozo Regional Strategy positions the island for a future European Capital of Culture candidacy; the Northern Region promotes annual locality cultural plans; the Eastern Region prioritises library services and intercultural programmes; the Western Region focuses on artist–NGO–council collaboration; the Southern Region targets alternative-space community arts; and the Port Region focuses on harbour-area cultural infrastructure.
The strategies are accompanied by a Region of Culture programme launched in 2024, under which one region per year holds the title with a dedicated programme of events and partial dedicated funding. The Eastern Region held the title in 2024; Gozo holds the title for 2025 under the artistic theme Common Ground. The National Cultural Policy (2021) also lists “a culturally distinctive Gozo” as one of its priorities, supporting infrastructure and funding earmarked for the island. Regional councils continue to operate with modest financial and human resources and rely on central government, EU funds and partnership with national bodies for major projects.
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