Category: Cyprus News Agency

Today, the European Commission has registered a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), entitled ‘Ethics, Transparency and Integrity for European Political Parties’.

The initiative invites the Commission to ‘devise a European model of ethical governance based on transparency, integrity and shared responsibility’. To this end, the organisers call for the Commission to ‘propose a legislative act amending and tightening up’ the EU Regulation ‘on European political parties and European political foundations and introducing stricter requirements’ in relation to conflicts of interest, transparency, decision-making, unethical conduct and funding.

As this initiative fulfils the formal conditions established in the relevant legislation, the Commission considers it legally admissible under the European Citizens’ Initiative Regulation. The Commission has not analysed the substance of the proposals at this stage. The registration does not influence the Commission’s final decision on its merits, or any potential action it may take. The Commission will take a decision on the initiative only if it collects at least one million signatures from EU citizens.

Next steps

Following today’s registration, the organisers have six months to open the 12-month period of signature collection. If an ECI receives at least one million statements of support during that time, with minimum thresholds reached in at least seven Member States, the Commission is required to react, and decide what, if any, action it will take in response to the initiative, justifying its decision.

Background

The ECI was introduced with the Lisbon Treaty as an agenda-setting tool for citizens. It was officially launched in April 2012. Once formally registered, a European Citizens’ Initiative allows one million citizens from at least seven EU Member States to invite the European Commission to propose legal acts in areas where it has the power to act. The conditions for admissibility are: (1) the proposed action does not manifestly fall outside the framework of the Commission’s powers to submit a legal proposal, (2) it is not manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious and (3) it is not manifestly contrary to the values of the Union.

Since the introduction of the European Citizens’ Initiative, the Commission has registered 125 initiatives.

The content of the initiatives only expresses the views of the organisers and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the Commission.

For more information

‘Ethics, Transparency and Integrity for European Political Parties’

ECI statistics

ECIs currently collecting signatures

European Citizens’ Initiative Forum

#EUTakeTheInitiative campaign

Commission extends SATA and TAP State aid divestment conditions deadlines

The European Commission has extended the deadlines for SATA and TAP to complete the divestments of assets that were conditions for restructuring aid granted by the Portuguese government.

Upon Portugal’s request, the Commission agreed to an extension until 31 December 2026 of the deadline for SATA to divest a majority shareholding (51%) of Azores Airlines and the carve-out and sale of its ground handling business unit. These divestments are conditions for the approval of the restructuring aid granted by Portugal to SATA in June 2022. For TAP, the Commission extended the deadline for the divestment of its shareholding in SPdH and Cateringpor to 30 June 2026. This divestment is a condition for the approval of the restructuring aid granted by Portugal to TAP in December 2021.

To limit the negative effects of the extension of the deadline on competition, Portugal has offered to correspondingly reduce the aid amount and to prolong measures to ensure competition until the full divestment of the assets.

The non-confidential versions of the decisions will be made available under the case numbers SA.62043 and SA.60165 in the State aid register on the Commission’s competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved.

(For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 2 298 01 00; Luuk de Klein – Tel.: +32 229 94774)

Commission clears creation of joint venture by Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Jefferies

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the creation of a joint venture by Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (‘SMFG’) of Japan and Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (‘Jefferies’) of the US.

The transaction relates primarily to Japanese investment banking equity-related services.

The Commission concluded that the notified transaction would not raise competition concerns, given the limited impact on the European Economic Area. The notified transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.

After New Year’s eve, an increase in admissions with influenza A to public hospitals was recorded, State Health Services Organisation (SHSO) Press Spokesperson, Charalambos Charilaou, told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) on Monday, noting that this is something which is observed during this period every year and causes no worries.

‘There is an increase in admissions with influenza A to public hospitals”, but this is something we anticipate during this season, he said. At the same time, Charilaou explained that every year, from January to April, an increase in cases of influenza A and other seasonal viruses or infections is observed, clarifying that ‘it is not something to worry about.’ ‘We are ready to deal with any increase both in the Accident and Emergency Departments and in hospitalisations in the wards,’ he pointed out.

Asked by CNA whether there were cases of overeating during the holidays, the SHSO press spokesperson responded negatively. As for the increase in visits to Accident and Emergency Departments for other reasons, he attributed it to the absence of personal doctors who were on leave.

‘During the holidays, there was an increased influx of patients to the Accident and Emergency Departments, because private personal doctors and specialist doctors were absent on leave and thus the entire burden fell on the Accident and Emergency Departments,’ Charilaou said, adding that all cases were dealt with adequately.

Finally, he noted that ‘the rapid patient movement clinics continued their operation, where all non-urgent cases were examined without delay and people left satisfied.’

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, will be in Nicosia on Wednesday for the official launch of Cyprus’ Presidency of the Council of the EU.

As announced by the chief Commission spokesperson, following her visit to Paris on Tuesday for the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine, von der Leyen will travel to Nicosia to mark the start of the presidency and then, on Thursday, to other countries in the wider region-Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

There were no flight safety issues caused by yesterday’s prolonged blackout on almost all radio frequencies of Athens FIR, the President of the Mediterranean Flight Safety Foundation (FSF-MED), Chrysanthos Chrysanthou, told CNA on Monday.

He added that information suggests that this was a matter of equipment upgrades and that the relevant authorities in Cyprus were able to manage all flights that avoided Greek airspace.

According to Chrysanthou, there is still insufficient information about what exactly caused the problem.

As he said, from contacts with people in the field, it appears that the problem may be due to systems that have not been modernized, noting, however, that it did not cause any problems with flight safety.

“As far as we know, there were no problems with flight safety, either in the Greek or in Cypriot airspace. The number of flights passing through the Cypriot airspace increased significantly because they were coming from other airspaces via Cyprus, avoiding the Greek airspace while there was no communication with the pilots,” he added.

He also said that there was another issue regarding the transfer of data from Greek airspace to other airspaces, as when an aircraft passes from one country’s airspace to another, the other country is informed in advance by the control center of the country through which the aircraft is passing and transfers the data so that when it arrives in the other airspace, the air traffic controllers possess this data.

“We cannot say with certainty what caused it, but what we can say is that it did not cause any problems with flight safety,” he reiterated.

Asked about the possibility of external interference, Chrysanthou said that interference from another country has not been confirmed.

“Interference usually occurs at certain frequencies; it is difficult to interfere with all frequencies. The information points to this being a matter of equipment upgrades. There are also issues between controllers and politicians, problems that in our opinion should not exist. These are issues that should have been resolved by political leaders, civil aviation, transport, etc., without delay,” he said on the matter.

Asked if any additional measures were taken in Cyprus during the disruption, he said that the competent authorities in Cyprus were able to manage all flights that avoided the Greek airspace, either from Turkey or from the south, without any problems.

In October 2025, the Industrial Turnover Index reached 148.1 units (base 2021=100), recording an increase of 6.9% compared to October 2024, according to data published on Monday by the Statistical Service.

In manufacturing, the Industrial Turnover Index for October 2025 reached 150.3 units, recording an increase of 9.5% compared to October 2024. Increases were also recorded in water supply and materials recovery (8.4%) and mining and quarrying (6.8%).

A decrease was noted in the electricity supply sector (-5.8%).

For the period January – October 2025, the index recorded an increase of 4.6% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

The year 2025 proved to be a year of international recognition for Cyprus cinema, with Cypriot creators and producers competing on equal footing with productions from major countries and winning awards as well as international visibility, according to the Deputy Ministry of Culture. The Ministry said that 2026 is expected to be a ‘highly productive year’ for the Cypriot film industry.

According to an announcement by the Deputy Ministry, the world premieres of two Cypriot productions at major international festivals are also anticipated: ‘Hold Onto Me’ by Myrsini Aristidou at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, and ‘Motherwitch’ by Minos Papas at the 2026 International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).

It is further noted that ‘All That’s Left of You’ by Cherien Dabis, which is Jordan’s official submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, has been shortlisted for the category at the 98th Academy Awards. The film, it said, is a Cyprus-Germany co-production, with the participation of the Deputy Ministry of Culture through the minority co-productions scheme, and production company AMP Filmworks serving as the Cypriot producer. The film also received support from the Cyprus Film Commission (Invest Cyprus) and funding from Eurimages, the Council of Europe’s film fund.

The film ‘All That’s Left of You’ tells the story of a Palestinian family across several decades, set against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, shedding light on issues of displacement, collective trauma, memory and survival through three generations, it said. The film’s world premiere was at the Sundance Film Festival in 2025 and was screened at major international festivals, winning audience and jury awards. Executive producers include Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem, the Deputy Ministry notes.

It is also noted that the Best Animation Film award was recently won by short film ‘The Weaver’ by Yiorgos Tsangaris at the 16th Karama Human Rights Film Festival in Amman, Jordan, which took place from December 9 to 14.

According to the festival’s jury statement, the film highlights important truths and inspires audiences to reflect on the challenges and aspirations of communities striving for justice and dignity, it said. The film was also included in the official competition of the 45th Anima Festival in Brussels and previously screened at the historic Festival de Cine y Derechos Humanos de Barcelona and the 22nd Animateka Festival in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The Deputy Ministry of Culture was a co-producer and sponsor of the film.

It also said that ‘Sirens’ continue their festival run after its premiere at the 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, ‘one of Europe’s most important film festivals’, in November 2025. The short film by Argyro Nicolaou participated in the Shorts Live-Action Competition section of PÖFF Shorts 2025, the announcement said.

The film ‘Ektropi’ by Marinos Kartikkis, following its premiere at the Alexandria Mediterranean Countries Film Festival and participation in international festivals such as the Thessaloniki Film Festival, continues its journey with another official selection, this time at the 2026 Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh. The film was also on the list of 20 European films competing this year for the Arab Critics’ Awards.

Beyond these recent successes, in 2025, Cypriot films were distinguished at various festivals worldwide and were screened at more than 45 events, organised in cooperation between the Deputy Ministry of Culture and embassies of the Republic of Cyprus, the announcement concludes.

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (C)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1800 05/01/2026 UNTIL 1800 06/01/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1022hPa (hectopascal)

High pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be mainly fine with increased high cloud coverage.

Visibility: Good

Sea surface temperature: 19°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA

PERIOD

WIND

STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Night

Northeast to East 3, at times locally 3 to 4

Slight

Morning

Northeast to East 3 to 4, gradually East to Southeast

Slight

Afternoon

East to Southeast 3 to 4, locally 4 to 5

Slight

South Coast

Night

North to Northeast 3 to 4, offshore Northeast 4

Slight, offshore Slight to Moderate

Morning

Northeast to East 3 to 4

Slight

Afternoon

Northeast to East 4, locally 4 to 5

Slight to Moderate

East Coast

Night

North to Northeast 3 to 4, locally 4

Slight to Moderate

Morning

North to Northeast 3 to 4, gradually Northeast to East 4

Slight to Moderate

Afternoon

Northeast to East 4 to 5, locally 5

Moderate

North Coast

Night

Northeast to East 3 to 4, offshore 4

Slight, offshore Slight to Moderate

Morning

Northeast to East 3 to 4, offshore 4

Slight, offshore Slight to Moderate

Afternoon

Northeast to East 4, locally 4 to 5

Slight to Moderate

Time of issue: 1700 Date: 05/01/2026

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (A)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 0600 05/01/2026 UNTIL 0600 06/01/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1023hPa (hectopascal)

Weak high pressure is affecting the area. Today the weather will be mainly fine, but later increased high cloud coverage will be present.

Visibility: Good

Sea surface temperature: 19°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Morning Northeast to Southeast 4 to 5, locally Variable 3 Slight, locally Smooth to Slight

Afternoon Northeast to Southeast 4 to 5, locally Variable 3 to 4 Slight, locally Slight to Moderate

Night Northeast to Southeast 3 to 4 Slight, later Smooth to Slight

South Coast

Morning Northeast to East 4, at times 5 Slight to Moderate, at times Slight

Afternoon Northeast to East 4 to 5, locally 5 Slight to Moderate, locally Slight

Night North to Northeast 4, gradually 3 to 4 Slight to Moderate, gradually Slight

East Coast

Morning Northeast 4 to 5 Slight to Moderate

Afternoon Northeast 4 to 5 Slight to Moderate

Night Northeast 4, in the morning 3 to 4 Slight to Moderate, in the morning Slight

North Coast

Morning Northeast to East 4 to 5, locally near the coast Northeast to Southeast 3 to 4 Slight to Moderate, locally near the coast Slight

Afternoon Northeast to East 4 to 5, locally near the coast 3 to 4 Slight to Moderate, locally near the coast Slight

Night Northeast to Southeast 3 to 4, at times offshore 4 to 5 Slight, at times offshore Slight to Moderate

An uptick in business confidence and stronger household expectations boosted the economic climate, while uncertainty continued to ease, according to a press release, on Monday, by the Economics Research Centre of the University of Cyprus.

Economic sentiment in Cyprus recorded a notable improvement in December 2025, with the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI-Cyphers) rising by 1.6 points compared to November.

The increase was mainly driven by higher business confidence in the services and retail trade sectors, as well as a marked strengthening in consumer confidence, the ERC said.

In services, the Confidence Indicator rose as firms reported improved assessments of their recent business situation and turnover, despite a deterioration in expectations for future turnover. Retail trade confidence increased for a second consecutive month, supported by upward revisions in sales expectations.

In contrast, the Construction Confidence Indicator remained unchanged from November, as negative revisions in employment expectations were offset by more positive views on order book levels. The Industry Confidence Indicator also remained at November levels, with firms reporting improved assessments of current order books, while views on stocks of finished products and production expectations weakened.

Consumer confidence showed a strong increase in December, “primarily reflecting stronger intentions to make major purchases”. At the same time, consumers’ assessments of their own financial situation and, more notably, their expectations regarding the country’s economic conditions continued to improve.

Meanwhile, the Economic Uncertainty Indicator for Cyprus declined for a third consecutive month in December, driven by lower uncertainty among consumers and among firms in the services and industry sectors.

Heads of European institutions, leaders and representatives of states and governments as well as representatives of other organisations and bodies will attend the opening ceremony of the Cyprus EU Presidency Wednesday, at the Cyprus Theatre Organization building in Nicosia at 6:30 pm.

A press release issued by the EU Secretariat says that the Ceremony will be attended by the President of the European Council Antonio Costa, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Court of Auditors Tony Murphy, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Moldova Maia Sandu, the President of Iraq Abdul Latif Rashid, the President of Lebanon General Joseph Aoun, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit and the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi.

Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, will be represented at a ministerial level.

The ceremony will include speeches to be followed by an artistic performance in three acts, directed by Costas Silvestros.

The performance titled ‘MEMORY – PRESENT – FUTURE’ will combine music, dance, theater, image, poetry and digital technologies.

It will narrate the history of Cyprus through the centuries, highlighting its culture as an integral part of European civilization.

Over 100 Cypriot artists and cultural professionals contributed to the performance.

The ceremony will be broadcasted live by public boadcaster CyBC 1 and CyBC HD as well as EBS.

President Nikos Christodoulides will host an official dinner for the heads of the 14 official delegations, at the Leventis Gallery.

Cyprus an EU member since 2004, assumed the EU Council Presidency for the second time, January 1st.