Cyprus is being brought before the European Court of Justice for years of inaction and the failure of state authorities to set clear objectives and enact the necessary conservation measuresfor the areas of the Natura 2000 network.
This ruling has a direct impact on Cyprus, as there is a serious risk of exorbitant monetary fines and daily penalty payments being imposed, which in reality will be borne directly by Cypriot taxpayers.
At the same time, this decision raises serious concerns for the Department of the Environment, as it may no longer be able to approve projects in protected areas unless specific conservation objectives are in place. The problem affects many protected areas in Cyprus, where many of the permits that have been issued are now being challenged, as general or inadequate objectives have been used until now.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Audit Office Intervention
The Audit Office intervened immediately, sending a letter to the Ministry of Agriculture requesting that it issue the necessary decrees for all Natura areas without delay and determine whichis responsible for the significant delays.
Audit Office
The Audit Office had called for accountability two years earlier in a related letter dated March 2024, warning of the risk of Cyprus being condemned by the Court of Justice of the European Union and denouncing sloppiness, negligence, and chronic inaction in the preparation of the decrees.
The warnings from the European Union were not just one or two. They were constant, as for more than 10 years Europe had been sounding the alarm in the Republic of Cyprus.
The warnings began in 2013 regarding Natura sites, with a focus on Akamas. In 2016, the infringement procedure began, and despite repeated warnings and recommendations, the European Commission decided in 2024 to refer Cyprus to the European Court of Justice. The case was filed in February, and in July, the Court of Justice of the European Union made it clear that projects in Natura areas cannot be approved without specific conservation objectives.
A timeline of warnings
2013: First European concerns regarding Natura 2000.
2016: Infringement proceedings against Cyprus begin.
2021–2022: Warnings that Cyprus is not complying.
2024: Decision to refer Cyprus to the ECJ.
2026: The case against Cyprus is registered.
July 2026: ECJ ruling—Without conservation objectives, projects in Natura 2000 sites will not be approved.
They won’t learn their lesson
And even though Cyprus is already in the dock at the European Court of Justice, some people still don’t seem to get the message. This morning, the protected beach at Lara—where the placement of beach umbrellas is strictly prohibited—looked like a commercial beach.
The Fisheries Department is responsible
for monitoring the area. According to information from Alpha, all three officials who are supposed to be patrolling the area were off duty.
Watch Eleni Michael’s report:
