The European Commission on Tuesday published its annual reports on the implementation of the Green Line Regulation and the Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community, reaffirming the EU’s unwavering support for the reunification of Cyprus by strengthening intercommunal ties and promoting targeted socio-economic development.
According to the Commission, the 2025 Green Line Report recorded a historic high of 7.79 million authorised crossings, highlighting the growing links between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. At the same time, irregular crossings continued their downward trend, falling to 2,433. To further facilitate movement, the EU funded expansion works at the Agios Dometios crossing point, increasing capacity at one of the island’s busiest checkpoints.
The 2025 Aid Programme Report outlined ongoing efforts to support the reunification of Cyprus by fostering the socio-economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community, building trust, and strengthening civil society. With pound 33.7 million allocated in 2025, the programme continued to improve food safety and animal welfare standards, including through emergency measures to address the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in December 2025. In addition, EU-funded investments in water supply and wastewater infrastructure, energy efficiency, air quality, and noise monitoring continued to improve living standards in the Turkish Cypriot community and across the island.
The Commission’s report also noted that 142 Turkish Cypriots studied at universities across the EU, while 18 students from both communities enrolled in United World Colleges. Finally, under the ninth Cyprus Civil Society in Action grant scheme, 16 grants worth pound 2.22 million were awarded to projects focusing on environmental protection, sustainable development, reconciliation, confidence-building, and civil society participation in the settlement process.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.