“Yesterday, the Commission adopted the 2025–2026 country-by-country report on the Schengen Area, following a positive opinion from the member states at the Schengen Committee on June 26.”
_{^{Markus Lamer – Commission Spokesperson}}

The report is based on the Schengen monitoring exercise conducted in December 2025 and provides a positive assessment of Cyprus’s technical readiness.

So the green light has been given.

And in September, the report concerning Cyprus is expected to be presented to the Council of the EU.

The issue was also discussed at the recent meeting between President Christodoulides and Ursula von der Leyen, during which it was confirmed that Cyprus has completed the technical aspects, and that only the political decision remains.

“It is clear that decisions on when and how Cyprus will join the Schengen Area fall within the Council’s purview. The Commission’s position is very clear.”
_{^{Markus Lamer – Commission Spokesperson}}

Cyprus’s full accession to the Schengen Area would strengthen the common framework of rules, standards, and responsibilities governing Schengen cooperation.

At the same time, however, it is clear that there is still a long way to go.

Obstacles and Benefits

European sources emphasize that there are still outstanding issues that need to be resolved. These issues are both technical and political in nature.

Issues related to the Green Line, mixed marriages, and the British bases are directly linked to the political problem of Cyprus.

In Nicosia, there is satisfaction with the developments, though they realize that nothing is over yet.

Sources in Brussels emphasized that the benefits will be enormous for Cypriot citizens, especially in terms of security and travel.

For example, if today a traveler from Cyprus stops in Greece on the way to another country, they will undergo two rounds of identity and luggage checks.

Upon entering the Schengen Area, these checks will be eliminated, and travelers will move within a single European space without additional delays or inconvenience.

Watch Giorgos Georgiadis’s report: