Category: Cyprus News Agency

Addressing the housing crisis through coordinated European action and increased supply of affordable homes is a key priority of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Interior Minister, Constantinos Ioannou, said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the Permanent Committee on Cadastre conference and the plenary meeting in Paphos, Ioannou stressed that housing has become one of the most pressing social, economic and political challenges across the EU.

‘Access to affordable, adequate and sustainable housing is not only a social right, but a prerequisite for social cohesion, economic stability and trust in public institutions,’ he said.

He noted that rising property prices and rents, increasing construction and energy costs, limited access to financing and persistent supply shortages have created a complex crisis affecting particularly young people, low- and middle-income households and vulnerable groups.

Ioannou welcomed the European Commission’s European Affordable Housing Plan, describing it as a significant step towards establishing a comprehensive framework to address housing affordability, focusing on boosting supply, mobilising investment and supporting vulnerable groups.

He said the Cyprus Presidency fully supports the initiative and aims to advance it through dialogue and consensus-building among member states, with the objective of delivering concrete and implementable solutions.

Outlining the Presidency’s priorities, Ioannou highlighted four key areas. First, ensuring access to affordable, adequate and sustainable housing for all, with emphasis on young people and vulnerable groups. Second, strengthening investment in the housing sector by mobilising public and private resources, improving the use of EU funding tools and developing innovative financial instruments.

Third, increasing housing supply through new construction, renovation of existing buildings and better utilisation of underused properties, supported by modern technologies and sustainable practices. Fourth, enhancing the collection and use of reliable data and promoting the exchange of best practices among member states.

Ioannou underlined the critical role of land registry and cadastral systems, noting that effective housing policy depends on transparent property markets, clear ownership structures and accessible, high-quality land data.

‘Without reliable land information and efficient land administration systems, housing development cannot proceed effectively,’ he said. He added that such systems also support faster planning and permitting processes, improve transparency for investors and citizens, and contribute to sustainable urban development.

The ?inister stressed that tackling the housing crisis requires political will, coordinated action and the right policy tools, reaffirming the Cyprus Presidency’s commitment to working with EU institutions, member states and stakeholders to achieve tangible progress.

The two-day meeting in Paphos brings together key actors in land governance and spatial data, aiming to contribute to policy discussions and share best practices across Europe.

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (C)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1800 06/05/2026 UNTIL 1800 07/05/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1015hPa (hectopascal)

Weak high pressure is expected to affect the area. The weather will be mainly fine but at times increased cloud will be present.

Visibility: Good

Sea surface temperature: 20°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Night Northwest to Northeast 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Northeast to Southeast 3 Smooth to Slight

Afternoon West to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 4 Slight

South Coast

Night West to Northwest 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Northwest to Northeast 3 Smooth to Slight

Afternoon South to Southwest 3 to 4, locally 4 Slight

East Coast

Night Southwest to Northwest 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Northwest to Northeast 3 Smooth to Slight

Afternoon Southeast to Southwest 3 to 4, at times locally 4 Slight

North Coast

Night Southeast to Southwest 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Southwest to Northwest 3 Smooth to Slight

Afternoon West to Northwest 3 to 4, at times locally 4 Slight

CNA/PC/GV/2026

Cyprus’ Law Commissioner, Sophia Kleopa Hadjikyriakou, welcomes her admission as an Institutional Member of the European Law Institute (ELI), as part of her efforts to strengthen the institution within the European legal community and to enhance cooperation with other European legal bodies, according to an announcement issued by her Office here today.

It is noted that the ELI is an independent, non-profit organisation based in Vienna, which aims to improve the quality of the law. Its membership includes various bodies such as the European Parliament, the Court of Justice of the European Union, Supreme Courts of several countries, universities, bar associations, and others.

‘The inclusion of the Law Commissioner in the ELI is a particularly significant development in the execution of her legislative drafting and reform work, as cooperation with other expert bodies and distinguished institutions enhances expertise and specialisation, promotes and leds to the adoption of best legislative practices and proposals, and supports the modernisation of the law based on international and European standards,’ the statement notes.

Furthermore, it is pointed out that, through her admission to the ELI as an institutional member, the Law Commissioner enjoys full voting rights, ‘demonstrating that the Republic of Cyprus can actively participate in the modernisation of law at a European level, and can also help shape the legislative framework as an equal institutional partner alongside other major institutions, thereby strengthening its international presence.’

Kleopa Hadjikyriakou expresses her ‘sincere thanks’ to the ELI for her admission and the trust shown, as well as to the Cyprus Bar Association, it adds, noting that her participation strengthens cooperation with key European institutions and expands the ability to promote the legal positions and proposals of the Republic of Cyprus at a European level.

Attorney General George Savvides and Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Savvas Angelides are in Brussels for the 17th Meeting and General Assembly of the Network of Prosecutorial Authorities or equivalent institutions at the Supreme Courts of the EU Member States (Nadal Network). The meeting will take place between 6 and 8 May.

A press release from the Law Office says that the main topic of discussion will be the challenges that the Rule of Law is called upon to manage and ways in which the Nadal Network can contribute to strengthening it.

The Nadal Network brings together the Supreme Prosecutorial Authorities from all EU MS.

The right of every European to remain and build their future in the place they call home took centre stage at a high-level event held today at the European Parliament in Brussels, marking the launch of preparations for the EU’s “Right to Stay” strategy. Cyprus’ Finance Minister Makis Keravnos, speaking on behalf of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, stressed that freedom of movement remains one of the EU’s great achievements, but underlined that “mobility must remain a choice and not a necessity.”

Also addressing the event were European Commission Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto, President of the European Committee of the Regions Kata Ttto, and former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta, author of the report on the future of the Single Market.

Drawing on findings from the High-Level Group report on the future of cohesion policy, Keravnos noted that more than 60 million EU citizens live in regions where GDP per capita remains below its 2000 level, while a further 75 million live in regions with near-zero growth. “This is not simply an economic statistic. It is a signal of structural divergence, territorial imbalance, and growing inequality of opportunity,” he said, warning that if left unaddressed, these trends risk creating a “new geography of discontent”, a Europe where entire regions feel excluded from progress and citizens lose trust in the European project.

The Finance Minister recalled that when the Single Market was established in 1988, cohesion policy was introduced as its essential counterpart, to ensure that integration would benefit all regions. “Today, this balance must be reaffirmed and remains more relevant than ever,” he added.

Turning to the chronic challenges facing island, sparsely populated, cross-border and mountainous regions, such as economic stagnation, demographic decline, brain drain, and gaps in services and infrastructure, Keravnos argued that “when opportunities are unevenly distributed, people feel pressed to leave their homeland for more attractive areas and therefore lose their right to stay.” He also highlighted the growing affordable housing crisis in urban centres, which is increasingly pushing young people and middle-income households out of their communities.

Keravnos defended cohesion policy as the instrument that transforms the right to stay from a principle into a tangible reality, through investment in jobs, education, innovation, infrastructure and essential services. He warned that “without targeted, place-based support, these transitions risk widening regional disparities rather than reducing them,” and cited the Draghi report in arguing that “a fragmented Europe cannot be a competitive Europe.”

On the priorities of the Cyprus Presidency, Keravnos announced that Cyprus will host an Informal Ministerial Meeting on cohesion policy on 4 and 5 June 2026, focusing on the right to stay and the specific challenges of island regions. A high-level event dedicated to the new EU strategies for islands and coastal communities is also planned for later that month. Closing his remarks, the Minister stressed that “the success of European integration should not be measured only by how easily people can move, but also by how confidently they can choose to stay.”

At the same event, Executive Vice-President Fitto presented the Commission’s framework for the strategy under preparation, noting that “one in three Europeans, 149 million people, lives in a region that has lost population over the past two decades.” He announced the launch of a public consultation open until early June, inviting citizens, regions and member states to contribute to shaping the strategy, and revealed that the Commission had conducted a Eurobarometer survey of 50,000 Europeans on the factors influencing their decision to remain in or leave their region, with results expected shortly.

Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Michael Damianos, will represent the Cypriot Presidency at Wednesday’s second political trilogue involving the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament and the European Commission, focusing on legislative proposals to implement the EU-US Joint Statement agreed in August 2025.

Damianos departs for Brussels this evening and is expected to return to Cyprus on Thursday, 7 May.

The challenges faced in the Mediterranean are shared and require a collective response with fishers at the centre, EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, said on Tuesday regarding a high-level meeting Mediterranean fisheries, taking place in Nicosia.

Cyprus, as an island EU Member State in the Eastern Mediterranean, can play a substantial role in strengthening regional cooperation, said the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Maria Panayiotou.

In statements to the press following the informal Council of Fisheries Ministers and before the start of the high-level meeting, Kadis and Panayiotou highlighted the importance of cooperation in addressing the challenges facing the sector in the Mediterranean. Representatives of Mediterranean EU Member States, as well as representatives from third countries in the region, are participating in the meeting.

The meeting, Kadis said, would lead to the preparation and adoption of a new ministerial declaration, which is expected in 2027, under the Greek Presidency of the Council of the European Union, to set the course for the next decade.

He noted that the conference is taking place at a ‘critical crossroads’. He said that since 2017, when a similar summit was held in Malta and resulted in the ‘MedFish4Ever’ declaration, ‘a milestone for fisheries in the Mediterranean’, half of Mediterranean fish stocks have shown signs of recovery. ‘However, overexploitation and pressure on ecosystems remain serious challenges’, Kadis said. Therefore, he said, ‘today’s conference must be a turning point’.

‘It is time to strengthen our action in the Mediterranean, accelerate stock recovery, tackle illegal fishing, and enhance aquaculture, which is also part of the solution by complementing natural stocks,’ he added.

‘The challenges we face in the Mediterranean are common and require a joint response with fishers at the centre’, Kadis said. ‘We believe that through cooperation we can achieve positive results, and this meeting aims precisely at that, to promote cooperation among all countries of the Mediterranean region,’ he noted.

Panayiotou said that the high-level meeting on fisheries in the Mediterranean aims to prepare a new ‘MedFish4Ever’ declaration within the framework of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, which was adopted in 2017.

This declaration, she said, will aim to reaffirm the commitment of Mediterranean countries to continue efforts to improve fisheries management, combat illegal fishing, and strengthen the protection of coastal areas.

‘This discussion highlights the importance of a regional approach within the framework of the Common Fisheries Policy, particularly in a sea with the specific characteristics of the Mediterranean,’ the Minister said, noting that Cyprus, as an island EU Member State in the Eastern Mediterranean, can play a meaningful role in strengthening regional cooperation.

Participants will have the opportunity to exchange views on the key challenges and possible directions for action for the next decade, she concluded, thanking Kadis for the initiative to organise this ‘important meeting’.

Cyprus President, Nikos Christodoulides, is visiting Athens on Tuesday, where he will address the DEFEA (Defence Exhibition Athens) Conference.

According to a press release issued by the Presidency, on the sidelines of the Conference President Christodoulides will have a bilateral meeting with the Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias and will also meet with the European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius with whom he will discuss Cyprus EU Presidency actions on defence matters.

President Christodoulides is accompanied in Athens by the Minister of Defense Vassilis Palmas, Deputy Government Spokesperson Yiannis Antoniou and other officials.

He will return home in the afternoon.

Current bilateral cooperation initiatives and programmes were discussed in a meeting on Tuesday between Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas and Ambassador of the United States of America to Cyprus, Julie S. Davis.

The Ministry of Defence said in a post on X that ‘during the meeting, among other things, a review of existing bilateral cooperation initiatives and programmes was held, and views were exchanged on regional developments and security challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.’

At the end of the meeting, Palmas thanked Davis for the good and constructive cooperation and wished her every success in her future duties, it concluded.

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (A)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 0600 05/05/2026 UNTIL 0600 06/05/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1009hPa (hectopascal)

Weak low pressure is affecting the area. Increased cloud coverage at times with isolated showers, that later are confined mainly over the southern and eastern coasts.

Visibility: Good, but moderate in showers

Sea surface temperature: 20°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Morning West to Northwest 4, at times locally 4 to 5 Moderate, at times locally Slight to Moderate

Afternoon West to Northwest 4, locally 5 Slight to Moderate, locally Moderate

Night West to Northwest 4, gradually Northwest to North 3 to 4 Slight to Moderate, gradually Slight

South Coast

Morning Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 4 Slight to Moderate, locally Slight

Afternoon Southwest to West 4 to 5, locally at first Southeast to Southwest 3 to 4 Slight to Moderate, locally at first Slight

Night Southwest to West 4, gradually Northwest to North 3 to 4 Slight, gradually Smooth to Slight

East Coast

Morning Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, at times locally 4 Slight

Afternoon Variable 3 to 4, later South to Southwest Slight

Night Southwest 3 to 4, gradually West to Northwest Smooth to Slight

North Coast

Morning Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 4 Slight to Moderate, locally Moderate

Afternoon West to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 4 Slight to Moderate

Night Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, gradually near the coast Southeast to Southwest 3 Slight, gradually near the coast Smooth to Slight