The debate on the European Commission’s annual report on the rule of law began on Wednesday in the Parliamentary Committee on Institutional Affairs, where special mention was made of the recurring recommendation to move forward with the reform of the Legal Service and the separation of the responsibilities of the Prosecutor General and the public prosecutor. The addition of a new recommendation regarding delays in the progress of judicial proceedings was highlighted.
The discussion also highlighted issues related to the operation of the Anti-Corruption Authority, with the Commissioner for Transparency, Charis Pogiatzis, expressing satisfaction with the pace at which procedures are proceeding to staff the Authority with six additional officials, which will increase its staff to 22. He noted that the procedures for reviewing complaints have also begun to accelerate, and that approximately 71% of them have already been reviewed. On behalf of the Audit Service, Akis Gikas raised the issue of the concern noted in the report regarding the difficulty in accessing information necessary for the Audit Office to carry out its work.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The Committee Chair and DISY Member of Parliament, Dimitris Dimitriou, emphasized the critical importance of the report, as, he said, it categorically highlights the outstanding issues, gaps, and weaknesses that exist in the Republic of Cyprus regarding the rule of law, such as the fight against corruption, institutional controls, and freedom of the press. Noting that the report contains a positive observation regarding the fact that the Committee on Institutions is diligently studying the matter, he pointed out that, as in previous years, this year, too, there will be further meetings that will address the sections and recommendations included in the report in greater detail.
The government expressed satisfaction, acknowledging the positive tone of the report’s content, with Deputy Minister to the President, Eirini Piki, noting that implementing the Commission’s recommendations is a high priority for the government. Regarding the recommendation to complete the reform of the Legal Service, she said that a package of bills had been submitted to the Legal Affairs Committee in June 2025, while noting that amendments are being prepared to address shortcomings identified in the legislation passed regarding the declaration of assets, which will be presented to Parliament in the coming months.
The Head of the Secretariat for European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted as a positive development that three of the recommendations made in the 2025 report are not repeated in the 2026 report, while the Director General of the Ministry of Justice, George Pantelis, noted that the report acknowledges progress on two of the three recommendations concerning the Ministry, namely regarding the effectiveness of the Anti-Corruption Authority, appointment procedures, and the term of office of the Auditor General.
The report also received a positive assessment from the Chief of Police, Themistos Arnaoutis, who noted that it emphasizes the police’s ability to investigate corruption cases. He also noted that the report mentions the creation of a directorate to combat organized crime, stating that announcements will be made in September regarding the unit’s facilities.
On behalf of the Ministry of the Interior, Official Katerina Charalambous noted that the report reiterates two recommendations concerning the enactment of legislation on the allocation of state resources through advertising and on strengthening public broadcasting. Ms. Charalambous noted that the criteria for the allocation of advertising resources are publicly available, while regarding the second recommendation, she stated that these issues are addressed by the harmonization bill concerning the European Act on Media Freedom, and noted that consultations are also proceeding on the bill concerning the appointment process for the RIK Board of Directors.
In his remarks, Panagiotis Pourgourides, Head of the European Commission Delegation to Cyprus, noted that the 2026 report on Cyprus contains some positive elements, but he noted that certain issues have persisted as points of concern since 2020, when such reports began to be compiled, although they have shown some improvement, as he said. He also emphasized that the report is not a mechanism for ranking countries or assigning blame, but rather an effort to address challenges and encourage member states to make changes.
Regarding the Legal Service, he said that limited progress has been observed and that the report underscores the need to complete the reform and to establish effective oversight of decisions not to prosecute or to discontinue proceedings, which essentially concerns the separation of powers between the Attorney General and the public prosecutor. “This is a pioneering and complex reform, but also a unique opportunity to strengthen the institution’s independence and accountability over the long term and to further align it with modern concepts of the rule of law,” noted Mr. Pourgouridis, conveying the Commission’s position.
Mr. Pourgouridis also referred to the report’s observation regarding the need to take further measures to strengthen the work of the Anti-Corruption Authority and to ensure its operational effectiveness. Regarding the problem identified due to the length of judicial proceedings, he noted that to address these issues, the Commission recommends advancing a plan for an independent court system.
The judicial system at the trial court level is ineffective, says the Bar Association
During the discussion held at the first meeting of the Committee on Institutions regarding delays in judicial proceedings, these delays were largely attributed to a shortage of staff, particularly in support roles, with the Bar Association citing the inefficient operation of the first-instance justice system.
The Legal Service stated before the Committee that it does not view as negative the fact that the report notes there has been no significant progress in its reform, as this is a complex process and it is understood that there will be a long road to the completion of such significant legislative proposals. It also noted that the report’s assessment is considered positive.
The Vice President of the Bar Association, Nikolas Tsardellis, expressed the Bar Association’s disappointment at the slow pace of reforms in the judicial system and emphasized that a fundamental restructuring is needed, modernization, the use of technology, and addressing the shortcomings observed in facilities and staffing. He also pointed out that the problem of the time it takes to adjudicate cases is reflected in the fact that there has been a decrease of 80%–85% in the number of new cases filed, while also highlighting the issue of the time it takes to enforce court decisions.
Chief Clerk Maria Christodoulou, as head of the Judicial Service, noted that, regarding the delays identified in the administrative court’s proceedings, measures are being taken by transferring oversight to the Supreme Court. She confirmed, however, that there are also issues related to a shortage of support staff, which she said is essential for the courts to function. He noted, among other things, that there are positions available for court clerks, but there is difficulty in finding candidates.
During this discussion, it was mentioned that the Deputy Ministry of Research and Innovation supports the operation of the courts by promoting the implementation of the i-justice project, the second of four implementation phases of which is expected to be completed in the first half of 2026. It was also noted measures being taken to address staffing issues, such as the option for remote trials and digital recordings, in order to reduce staffing requirements.
One Complaint a Day to the Anti-Corruption Authority
A complaint is filed with the Anti-Corruption Authority every working day, the Commissioner for Transparency, Haris Pogiatzis, while also expressing satisfaction that the Authority’s staffing procedures are moving forward, a fact noted as a positive development in the European Commission’s report, which, however, also highlights the need to strengthen the Authority’s operational effectiveness.
Mr. Poyatzis noted that by July 2026, 911 complaints had been filed and 645 had been reviewed, representing approximately 71 percent. He further explained that this number will continue to rise going forward, as major investigations have been completed and staff can now focus on other complaints.
Regarding progress in staffing the Authority, he said that the organizational chart has been approved and that job descriptions for six additional positions are forthcoming, bringing the total number of staff members to 22.
Furthermore, regarding investigative powers, Mr. Poyatzis said that two bills have been submitted to the Legal Affairs Committee, and he also referred to the initiative undertaken by the Attorney General to establish a task force to combat corruption, the operation of which is expected to be clarified in the near future.
On behalf of the Audit Office, Akis Gikas, a member of the Management Team, addressed the concern raised in the Commission’s report regarding the difficulties in accessing information necessary for the Service to carry out its work. Mr. Gikas noted that the legislation currently being proposed should explicitly define the powers of the Audit Office so that audits do not encounter difficulties. By way of example, he noted that there have been disagreements with the Central Bank of Cyprus regardingregarding the Service’s access to information in the context of anti-money laundering audits, which is also documented in the Commission’s report.
Progress has been made, but it is not enough, says the Journalists’ Union
Regarding the recommendations set forth in the Commission’s report on the rule of law, particularly concerning press freedom, progress has been made, according to statements made by the President of the Cyprus Journalists’ Union (ESK), Giorgos Fragos, during his address to the Committee. He noted, however, that what has been done is not enough and that the interventions were not decisive. Among other things, he referred to the fact that the European Act on Media Freedom has not yet been ratified, while also reiterating the reservations previously expressed by the ESC regarding the reversal of media self-regulation, by granting additional supervisory powers to the Radio and Television Authority and the Press and Information Office.
Mr. Fragos stated that the ESK concurs with the Commission’s recommendations, noting that its report draws heavily on ESK reports. For her part, the Chair of the Journalistic Ethics Committee, Elli Kotziamani, noted that it is not enough for the House of Representatives to implement the regulation on media freedom; mechanisms must also be established to support journalists in carrying out their work.
The Director of the Media Institute in Cyprus, Nicolas Karydis, expressing his agreement with the views of Fragos and Kotziamani, noted that the report’s recommendations are not based on specific data from NGOs and that, for this reason, the impression it conveys—that progress has been made on the issues highlighted—is largely false. Furthermore, the Vice President of the NGO Oxygeno, Nikolas Kyriakidis, expressed the hope that timetables for addressing the issues raised by the Commission would be presented at the meetings of the Committee on Institutions, and that the discussion would not remain at the level of mere observations.
Members of Parliament deemed the statements from the institutions to be unsatisfactory
Several members of the Committee were not satisfied with the positions taken by the institutions involved regarding the content of the Commission’s report.
Specifically, on behalf of DISY, MP Nikoletta Konstantinou emphasized the seriousness of the impact on the judicial system caused by delays in proceedings and stressed the need for immediate solutions.
Speaking on behalf of AKEL, Konstantinos Konstantinou stated that these delays constitute a problem regarding access to justice and are a cause of the serious lack of trust in institutions. In remarks following the session, he noted that only 39% of citizens view the independence of the judiciary positively, while 95% of citizens consider corruption to be widespread in Cyprus and only 19% believe there are enough successful criminal prosecutions to serve as a deterrent.
“As AKEL, we do acknowledge that steps have been taken, but we will not label this limited progress as a success, nor will we accept the notion that it is sufficient to simply document the same problems every year,” he stated, calling for the acceleration of reforms in the judiciary and expressing support for the separation of powers and effective oversight of decisions not to prosecute or to discontinue prosecution.
DIKO MP Zacharias Koulias stated during the session that the current administration has made progress and that it had inherited problems from 15 years of governments that made tragic mistakes regarding the rule of law.
Odysseas Michaelides, a member of Parliament from the Alma Movement, noted that the issue of refusing to provide information to the Special Investigation Unit is the result of a misinterpretation and not a legislative loophole.
In her remarks, Alma Movement MP Eirini Charalambidou, stated that “the rule of law in Cyprus cannot be substantially strengthened without reforming the Legal Service” and that “no one in a modern society can have unchecked powers such as those of the Attorney General,” noting that Malta, which had a similar legal system, has successfully modernized.
Regarding the judiciary, he stated that there should be evaluation metrics for productivity, the performance of judges, and the assessment of their decisions.
As for lobbying, he said there had been requests to exempt associations representing a large number of members and expressed agreement with the NGOs’ position that the original approach should be reinstated to prevent “undesirable behavior.” Finally, regarding the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority, he said that political will is needed to find a way to grant investigative powers to the Authority.
Source: CNA
