The need for greater support and protection for Cypriot fishers, who are facing mounting challenges, was pointed out by House President Annita Demetriou during a meeting on Friday with European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis.
‘I consider it very important to see how we can protect our own fishers,’ Demetriou said, stressing that the profession is among those most affected by current challenges and ‘needs a lot of support.’
Demetriou said she had met with fishers on several occasions, both collectively and individually, expressing the hope that ‘something more specific’ to support them would be included in the plan being prepared at EU level.
The meeting took place as the EU prepares its future Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) for the 2028-2034 programming period, alongside negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework.
Kadis said the EU was expected to proceed with a targeted revision of the CFP in the next programming period, following the completion of an evaluation which identified weaknesses in the implementation of the existing policy.
‘Most probably, in the next period we will have a targeted revision that will take into account the weaknesses revealed through the evaluation,’ Kadis said.
He added that feedback from all Member States, including Cyprus, would be taken into account, with the aim of ensuring that fisheries and aquaculture remain ‘viable, competitive and sustainable’ in Cyprus and across the EU.
He noted that the EU is ‘a maritime Union’, with the world’s largest combined exclusive economic zone and more than 70,000 kilometres of coastline, while around 40% of Europe’s population lives close to the sea.
According to a House press release, Demetriou stressed the strategic importance of fisheries and aquaculture for Cyprus as an island state in the Eastern Mediterranean, pointing to the multiple and growing pressures facing the sector. She underlined the need for ‘substantial, effective and targeted European support.’
The Commission completed in April 2026 its evaluation of the implementation of the CFP Regulation for the 2014-2025 period.
The two sides also reaffirmed their intention to strengthen dialogue and cooperation between the House and the European Commission, particularly as work continues on the future CFP and the 2028-2034 EU budget framework.