By Katerina Hatzistylli
- First Vice President of the Ecologists’ Movement – Citizens’ Cooperation
The debate over the installation of a new antenna system in the Akrotiri area is not merely a technical issue. It touches on public health, the protection of a particularly sensitive ecosystem, land use, and, ultimately, the residents’ right to be informed and to participate meaningfully in decisions that affect their community and their daily lives.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The conflicting information that has been made public regarding the scale, phases, and scope of the project highlights the need for official and comprehensive information. Trust is not built on piecemeal assurances, but on verifiable data, clear timelines, and procedures open to independent scientific and public scrutiny.
A scientifically responsible approach requires a clear distinction between concern, scientific evidence, and substantiated conclusions. Residents’ concerns must be examined systematically and with respect, without automatically being equated with certainties regarding specific health effects. Similarly, safety assurances must be supported by adequate data, transparent methodology, and a clear presentation of the assumptions, uncertainties, and limitations of each assessment.
The assessment of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields cannot be based solely on the number of antennas. First, it must be clarified which installations will transmit and which will be used exclusively for reception. For transmitting antennas, the following information must be made public—unless there is a specific and sufficiently justified reason related to national security or the protection of classified information— of the frequency bands, the maximum and typical transmitted power, the directivity, the height, the percentage of transmission time, and possible scenarios for simultaneous operation.
Prior to installation, baseline measurements are required to assess existing exposure levels; these must be conducted by entities with proven technical competence and operational independence. At the same time, a computational assessment of the expected exposure from the new system is required, both under normal conditions and based on the most adverse reasonable operating scenarios. This assessment must take into account the cumulative contribution of all existing and planned sources.
After the system is put into operation, verification and periodic measurements must be conducted at representative locations and time intervals. Measurements and computational estimates must be accompanied by information on the equipment used, calibration, assumptions, and the uncertainty of the results. The methodology and data must be available in a format that allows for both scientific scrutiny and meaningful understanding by the public.
A similar level of comprehensiveness is required for the environmental assessment. The Akrotiri area is of exceptional ecological importance. The Akrotiri wetland complex, which includes Alyki and other important wetland habitats, has been included in the Ramsar Convention’s List of Wetlands of International Importance. Significant portions of the area have also been designated, by decrees of the British Bases Administration, as areas equivalent to a Special Protection Area and a Special Conservation Area. The area also serves as an important migratory corridor and habitat for a large number of bird species.
The scientifically documented mortality incidents and bird-strike risks associated with the existing antenna infrastructure do not permit a downplaying of the ecological risk. The assessment must cover not only the antennas themselves but also land occupation and fragmentation, access roads, fencing, buildings, cabling, lighting, noise, the duration of construction work, and any impacts on hydrology and habitats. It must also examine the cumulative impacts in conjunction with existing and planned activities, as well as reasonable alternative locations and technical solutions, including the option of not proceeding with the project.
The British Bases Administration has stated that the project is subject to a statutory environmental assessment and public consultation process. Environmental organizations have, meanwhile, reported that they are already participating in the consultation process and in the evaluation of the Special Environmental Impact Assessment. Furthermore, according to information received by local authorities, assurances have been given that work will not begin until the required assessments have been completed and approved.
These commitments must be reflected in a truly transparent and verifiable process. There must be publicly available terms of reference for the studies, disclosure of the organizations and scientists conducting them, a declaration of any potential conflicts of interest, access to non-classified data, and the possibility of an independent scientific evaluation of the findings.
It is understood that certain information may be related to national security issues or the protection of classified information. This, however, cannot lead to a general and vague invocation of confidentiality. Any restriction on disclosure must be specific, necessary, and proportionate. Nor should it preclude independent scrutiny of factors relating to public health, the environment, and the safety of residents, even if appropriate confidentiality safeguards are required for the review of certain information.
In this context, the precautionary principle does not constitute proof that a risk has already been established. It serves as a framework for responsible decision-making when potential serious or irreversible effects have been identified, but scientific knowledge does not yet allow the risk to be determined with sufficient scientific certainty. The measures taken must be justified, proportionate, consistent, and subject to review in light of new data.
Equally critical is the quality of public consultation. Residents, the Municipality of Kourion, and the affected communities must be informed in a timely and understandable manner about the full content of the unclassified planning data and the findings of the relevant assessments. They must also be given sufficient time and the necessary technical support to review the information and submit substantiated comments.
Participation is truly meaningful only when it takes place before final decisions are made and when it can influence the siting, design, protective measures, as well as the decision on whether and under what conditions the project will proceed. Furthermore, a public and reasoned record is required detailing how each substantive comment submitted during the consultation was addressed.
The Ecologists’ Movement – Citizens’ Cooperation has a long-standing involvement with Akrotiri. From 2001 to 2003, the interventions by Giorgos Perdikis and the protests against the PLUTO II antenna were documented examples of this activism. On August 5, 2026, the Movement supported the Kourion Municipality’s mobilization against the new plans for Merra Akrotiri, while on September 15, it announced its participation in the residents’ new protest. The facilities and historical periods should not be conflated. What remains constant, however, is the demand for environmental protection, scientific documentation, and meaningful representation of the local community.
As First Vice President of the Movement, I believe that the Republic of Cyprus must assume an active and institutionally clear role. It must demand from the British Bases Administration full disclosure of non-classified technical data, an independent interdisciplinary assessment, an assessment of cumulative impacts, and public access to the measurement results. A reliable monitoring system must also be established before the facilities are put into operation and throughout their entire operational life, with data published on a regular basis.
Our opposition to the new plans is not based on fearmongering or on conclusions drawn before the facts are known. It is based on the observation that a project of this scale, in an area of exceptional ecological importance and near residential communities, cannot proceed without full documentation, independent oversight, and genuine public participation.
Akrotiri deserves to be treated in a manner commensurate with its environmental value and the reasonable demands of its residents. Trust in institutions is not demanded; it is earned through verifiable data, consistent procedures, and decisions that clearly explain how the public interest is being protected. This is the responsibility we are called upon to fulfill with scientific rigor, transparency, and political consistency.
