Day: September 9, 2022

Cyprus recorded one death and another 1,869 COVID-19 cases in the past week, the Health Ministry announced on Friday. A total of 67,808 tests were carried out between September 2 and 8, with the positivity rate at 2.76%.

The deceased was a woman, 92, who passed away on Monday. So far, the disease has claimed the lives of 1,173 people in Cyprus. Total cases recorded since the start of the pandemic are 579,899.

According to the Ministry’s press release, 44 patients are being treated in hospital, including five who are in serious condition. Two are in intensive care, one of whom intubated, and three are being treated in a high-dependency unit. Three post-Covid patients are intubated in the intensive care.

As regards the cases detected between September 2 and 8, 148 emerged out of 2,406 PCR tests carried out and 1,721 out of 65,402 rapid tests. In particular, 1,743 cases were detected in tests carried out privately, 83 through the Health Ministry’s screening programme; 41 emerged at testing sites, seven in the National Guard, 24 in nursing homes and 11 in closed structures.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

We have just concluded another Extraordinary Energy Council, just 6 weeks after the last one. And I thank Jozef and all colleagues for showing the readiness and willingness to address together, in a spirit of unity, the challenges we are facing.

Before the summer we put in place new tools to improve storage and reduce demand, to ease market pressures and be better prepared for winter. As the Russian manipulation continues with Gazprom’s latest moves on Nord Stream 1, I think we can all agree that these were right decisions to make. Our underground gas storage is now almost 83% full and Member States are taking action to cut gas consumption further. We must continue with both.

EU solidarity and coordination must remain at the core of our actions. That is how we ensure that Putin’s manipulation and weaponisation of gas supplies will fail.

I am pleased to say that this was the spirit of today’s discussions with the ministers: they are ready to support a rapid and coordinated response to tackle the latest spikes in energy prices and ease the pressure on our citizens and businesses.

Over the summer, extreme weather conditions caused by climate change have increased the mismatch between energy supply and demand. In several Member States, droughts have hampered hydro and nuclear power production, or delivery of energy supplies.

Record-high prices followed. Our households and businesses need further relief and protection, on top of all the measures Member States have already deployed from our energy prices toolbox.

This is why we have been working throughout the summer to design a set of measures which, taken together, will help EU consumers cope with their bills, and bring energy markets back into balance.

Let me briefly recall the plans the Commission has outlined this week.

First, we need to reduce electricity consumption in a smart way. This means focusing on peak hours, which is when gas-fired power plants are brought online to cover high demand, driving up electricity prices. We intend to propose a mandatory target for Member States to reduce consumption at peak hours. They will then have to implement it based on their national circumstances.

Second, we need instruments that will ensure a fairer distribution of revenues that are currently enjoyed by some in the energy sector. On the one hand, we propose to cap the revenues for inframarginal technologies. These are technologies that produce electricity cheaper than the price-setting gas power plants, but whose revenues are driven up to unprecedented levels by the price of gas. This measure will generate income that must be used by Member States to fund support measures to energy users and reduce the price paid by households, SMEs and industries for electricity.

We will design our EU framework in a way that will allow national schemes to continue if they are consistent with this objective. We will set the cap at a level that preserves incentives for investment in renewables – which is one of the main benefits of the current market design.

But it does not make sense to cap the revenues of low-carbon sources while leaving fossil fuels untouched. Fossil fuel companies’ income has swelled over the past months and we will therefore propose a solidarity levy on their profits. The revenues from this measure will be targeted to help vulnerable consumers and companies, or have to be invested into renewables.

The fourth area for intervention concerns the financial markets for energy products. The uncertainty created by Russia’s behaviour is causing additional stress for electricity trading. We need to stabilise the futures markets and avoid that companies suffer because of liquidity problems.

We will engage with securities and banking regulators to take swift action. We will also look into our Temporary State Aid Crisis Framework to see if we can streamline procedures to address liquidity gaps via state guarantees. As I have told the ministers today, the Commission also stands ready to develop a complementary index for LNG. The current pricing benchmark for gas, known as the TTF, is linked to a relatively small and pipeline-based market, which doesn’t reflect the current reality in the EU.

Finally, we need to maximize the tools available to us for bringing down gas prices at their source. We are exploring the possibility of imposing a price cap on Russian pipeline gas, a move that could hit Putin’s coffers and not allow Russia to maintain revenues despite cutting supply.

Russia’s supply of pipeline gas to the EU has drastically gone down over the past year, dropping from over 40% last year to around 9% in recent days. We also intend to step up the work of the Energy Platform to negotiate lower prices for gas from other suppliers, and I plan to visit Algeria in the near future to discuss additional supplies to Europe.

There is no one solution that will significantly lower energy prices and ensure our security of supply. We need to keep up our work and our determination on all fronts: diversification of supplies, demand reduction and investments in renewables are essential to our plan to REPowerEU.

I have also informed Ministers about our energy cooperation with Ukraine. We have to continue supporting our Ukrainian friends, including by increasing electricity trade with them, which is mutually beneficial. This will allow Ukraine to earn revenues and will give the EU access to additional affordable electricity. I have called on the ministers to encourage stepping up electricity trading with Ukraine.

As we discussed today, the time has come to add to our preparedness work further dedicated measures to ease price pressures and best use the revenues being generated in the market to serve our citizens.

I want to thank again the Presidency for organising this exchange of views, which gives me a solid basis to report to the President and continue our work.

We will be proposing unprecedented measures next week, for an unprecedented situation.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Mayor of the Turkish-occupied Municipality of Famagusta Simos Ioannou, asked on Friday the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, as well as the European Parliament to support Cyprus on the issue of the occupied town. “The European Parliament will stand by your side in working without ever pausing towards the unification of this beautiful country”, Metsola wrote in the guest book of the Municipality.

In statements after the visit of the President of the European Parliament, to the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Famagusta in Deryneia, the Mayor said that he had made some suggestions to Metsola on ways that both her and the European Parliament could help on the issue, pointing out that Metsola was a great friend of Cyprus and Famagusta.

“They have promised us that they will definitely help,” he said, adding that he had also suggested the European Parliament’s Petitions Committee to invite a delegation of the Municipality to the European Parliament”.

Ioannou also said that they suggested the opening of a temporary office of the European Union in the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Famagusta, to be used by both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. “If we return to (the occupied) Famagusta, the center should be moved there,” he said.

Regarding Turkey’s illegal actions in Famagusta, the Mayor said that he asked Metsola to raise the issues in her meetings with Turkish officials, pointing out that it is a matter of violation of international law and violation of the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.

The delegation of the President of the European Parliament arrived at the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Famagusta in Deryneia around 16:00 (local time). Upon her arrival, the Mayor of Famagusta offered Metsola a bouquet of white roses and a handmade cloth doll named Galatea, dressed in the Cypriot traditional costume and having gold frills around the neck, a work of the Cyprus Handicrafts Centre.

The President of the European Parliament had also the opportunity see the occupied city from the roof of the Cultural Center and was briefed both by the Mayor and by MEPs Lefteris Christoforou, Dimitris Papadakis and Costas Mavrides about the current situation.

“With sincere thanks for your welcome, where there is belief there is hope. The European Parliament will stand by your side in working without ever pausing towards the unification of this beautiful country”, Metsola wrote in the guest book of the Municipality.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Varosha, the fenced off section of the Turkish occupied town of Famagusta, is often described as a ‘ghost town’.

UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN. UN Security Council resolution 789 (1992) also urges that with a view to the implementation of resolution 550 (1984), the area at present under the control of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus be extended to include Varosha.

Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, announced in July 2021 a partial lifting of the military status in Varosha. On October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara on October 6. Both the UN Secretary-General and the EU expressed concern, while the UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action. In his latest report to the Security Council, UN Secretary-General Guterres underlines the importance of adhering fully to UN resolutions, underscoring that the position of the United Nations on this matter “remains unchanged.”

On October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara on October 6. Both the UN Secretary-General and the EU expressed concern, while the UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

In a joint assessment released today, the Government of Ukraine, the European Commission, and the World Bank, in cooperation with partners, estimate that the current cost of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine amounts to $349 billion (€349 billion). This figure is expected to grow in the coming months as the war continues.

The Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) presents the first comprehensive evaluation of war impacts across twenty different sectors following the Russian invasion. It also lays out the financing needs for a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable recovery and reconstruction and provides a roadmap for planning.

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said: “Ukraine is fighting for democracy and our common values. The EU cannot match the sacrifice Ukraine is enduring but we are mobilising all our instruments to address the most immediate needs, including for housing for internally displaced populations and to repair critical infrastructure. Since the start of Russia’s brutal and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU has mobilised 10 billion euro in financing, humanitarian, emergency and military assistance for Ukraine and another 5 billion euros in financing are in the pipeline. The EU will walk every step of the way with Ukraine to rebuild a democratic, independent and prosperous country on its path to the EU.”

“With joint efforts, we have already started reconstruction in the de-occupied Ukrainian territories, but reconstruction requires a comprehensive approach and the mobilization of joint resources of the Ukrainian government and international partners. The assessment of the destruction and the identification of reconstruction needs creates a solid basis for the national Reconstruction Plan and is a prerequisite for effective financing. After all, only for the first stage, rapid recovery, $17 billion is needed, of which Ukraine needs $3.4 billion already this year,” said Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal.

The assessment covers the impacts of the war sustained between February 24 and June 1, 2022, and found that physical damage from the war reached over US$97 billion (€97 billion). It was particularly high in the housing, transport, commerce and industry sectors. The destruction was concentrated in the Chernihivska, Donetska, Luhanska, Kharkivska, Kyivska, and Zaporizka oblasts.

The RDNA results are preliminary, and damage and needs should be considered as minimums.

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to exact a terrible toll, from significant civilian casualties and the displacement of millions of people to the widespread destruction of homes, businesses, social institutions, and economic activity,” said Anna Bjerde, World Bank Regional Vice-President for Europe and Central Asia. “The Government of Ukraine now faces the difficult task of balancing recovery with the country’s immediate needs, including core public services such as health, education and social protection, which are critical to preventing further deterioration in living conditions and poverty in Ukraine. The RDNA will help in identifying priorities for recovery while we continue to support the continuation of essential core services.”

The report found that recovery and reconstruction needs across social, productive, and infrastructure sectors total US$349 billion (€349 billion), which is more than 1.5 times the 2021 GDP of Ukraine. Over the next 36 months the RDNA assesses that US$105 billion (€105 billion) is needed to address urgent needs such as restoring education and health systems and infrastructure, preparing for the upcoming winter through restoration of heating and energy to homes, support to agriculture, and repair of vital transport routes. The safe management of debris and explosives, including landmines, also pose a substantial cost.

The Government of Ukraine is looking at the specific needs across the different regions ahead of the winter. Based on the highest priorities, tailored recovery and reconstruction plans are being developed to guide a program in each area.

The World Bank and the European Commission confirmed their continued support for the Government of Ukraine. Given the ongoing war, there will be a need for future assessments of damage, loss and reconstruction/recovery needs in Ukraine. The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) has committed financial support for this purpose.

The Ukraine RDNA full report can be downloaded here (Ukrainian version full report downloadable here). Summary reports: English version, Ukrainian version.

The RDNA benefited from the generous support of the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s Good Governance Fund; the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR); the United States Government, including the State Department; and the Swiss Government through the Sustaining Health Sector Reforms in Ukraine Trust Fund, supported by the Swiss Development Cooperation.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Energy Commissioner Kadri Simpson will be visiting Cyprus, the Cypriot Minister for Energy Natasa Pilides said on Friday after the extraordinary meeting of EU Energy Ministers that took place in Brussels.

Pilides said that Commissioner Simpson is expected to visit Cyprus to participate in a conference of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum, where she will continue the discussion “on whether the development of the fields in the Cypriot EEZ can be fast-tracked, seeing as Cyprus, being a European region, can be considered a priority in terms of the European Union’s decoupling from Russian gas.”

“Cyprus is in a position to contribute to the strengthening of Europe’s energy security through the discoveries in the Cypriot EEZ,” the Energy Minister said in her statement, referring to “great interest from both European Ministers and the Commissioner” with whom she met after the end of the meeting.

According to a press release issued by the Press and Information Office (PIO), the Energy Minister pointed out during the Ministers’ discussion that the presence of major oil and gas companies in the EEZ of Cyprus can be used to create appropriate synergies towards a sustainable regional gas market, supplying the EU with gas in the near future and hydrogen in the long term.

Referring to the proposed measures to mitigate high energy prices, Pilides said during the discussion that the different energy mix and the different reference points of each Member State, in particular those Member States that do not use natural gas, should be taken into account.

Regarding plans to reform the electricity market, Pilides was among the Ministers who called on the Commission to proceed with a thorough study of the issue. She also urged the Commission to study ways in which the Emissions Trading System (ETS) can help reduce electricity prices.

In the context of the discussion on Member States’ preparedness for winter, Pilides said that at the moment Cyprus is concerned with the impact of the crisis as it is currently isolated from EU energy networks.

She added that although Cyprus is not facing any problems with its fuel supply, the country is nonetheless affected by increased oil prices in all sectors, especially those related to electricity, transport and heating.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Today, the Commission is presenting guidelines to support Member States’ consulates in handling short-stay visa applications lodged by Russian citizens. Taking into account the heightened security risks the EU is facing following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, consulates should conduct a strict assessment of security risks. This could possibly lead to visa refusal as well as to the revocation of existing valid visas. Russian applicants travelling for non-essential reasons will also face a longer and more thorough process for lodging applications. Today’s guidelines will ensure a common and consistent approach across consulates. The EU will remain open to Russian visa applicants travelling for essential purposes, including notably family members of EU citizens, journalists, dissidents and civil society representatives.

Today’s guidelines follow the political agreement reached by Foreign Affairs Ministers at their informal meeting of 31 August on a common and coordinated way forward when it comes to visa issuance for Russian citizens. They come after the Council adopted a Decision today to suspend the EU’s Visa Facilitation Agreement with Russia, giving Member States wide discretion and greater scrutiny in processing short-stay visa applications from Russian citizens.

Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, said: “In the current context, EU consulates in Russia need to ensure a much higher degree of scrutiny on applications for short-stay visas. Thanks to today’s guidelines, we will do this based on a clear, transparent and common approach. The EU will continue acting united in face of Russia’s military aggression against an EU candidate country.”

Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson said: “Being a tourist in the EU is not a fundamental right. With today’s guidelines, Member States are advised to check thoroughly and with a great level of scrutiny visa applications from Russian citizens. Visas should be refused where consulates identify security risks. Consulates should also deprioritise applicants travelling to the EU for non-essential reasons. The EU will remain open to those who need to be protected, like journalists, dissidents, human rights activists, and people travelling for family reasons.”

A longer and more thorough process for lodging applications

Consulates could adapt their procedures for handling short-stay visa applications lodged in Russia – making full use of the existing possibilities under the EU visa rules – to ensure greater scrutiny on applications given the heightened risks to the security and public order of Member States arising from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The expulsion of many Member States’ consular and diplomatic staff by the Russian authorities also calls for further adjustments to application procedures, as it means that consulates are operating with a significant reduction of capacity.

In this context, consulates can:

Deprioritise non-essential travel: Consulates should give lower priority to applicants who do not have an essential reason to travel, such as tourists, when attributing visa appointments.

Extend the period for deciding on visa applications: Consulates could take up to 45 days to take a decision on visa applications (against 15 days in regular cases) so as to ensure more thorough checks on applications lodged by Russians.

Request additional supporting documents: Member States’ consulates could request additional documents beyond the standard list, to ensure a high level of scrutiny, in particular in cases of possible threats to public policy, public order and international relations.

Enhanced scrutiny over visa applications and existing visas

Given the current security situation, Member States’ consulates should apply particular scrutiny when checking whether Russian citizens applying for short-stay visas could be considered to be a threat to public policy, internal security or to the international relations of any of the Member States. If this is the case, the visa should be refused, always on the basis of an individual assessment. Member States should also refuse a visa in case of doubt about the applicant’s intention to leave the EU’s territory upon expiry of the visa.

Similarly, Member States should also have a strict approach when reassessing valid short-stay visas already issued to Russian citizens. If it becomes evident that the conditions for issuing a visa are no longer met, for instance because the visa holder is now considered to represent a security threat, Member States should revoke the existing visa.

Member States should refrain from issuing multiple-entry visas with long validity, as Russian citizens may not meet the conditions for entering the EU in the long run, given the economic instability, the restrictive measures and political developments in Russia. In such cases, Member States should consider issuing single-entry visas or visas with shorter validity.

Under the EU visa rules, a Member State can also ask to be consulted before another Member State issues visas to Russian nationals, on grounds of threats to public policy, internal security or international relations. The consulted Member State can object to a Schengen visa being issued to a Russian national, on an individual basis. If issued, the visa would then be limited to the territory of the issuing Member State, and not grant access to the entire Schengen area.

The EU will remain open to Russian visa applicants travelling for essential purposes, including notably family members of EU citizens, journalists, dissidents and civil society representatives. The guidelines support Member States in using the existing possibilities to cater for such cases. Under the visa rules, Member States can for instance decide to reduce or waive the visa fee in certain cases, which could help facilitate travel for journalists, dissidents, pupils, students and researchers.

Next Steps

The guidelines will support Member States and their consulates in handling visa applications lodged by Russian citizens and in implementing the full suspension of visa facilitations to Russian nationals.

Member States will regularly exchange information on the implementation of today’s guidelines, both at local level under the coordination of the EU Delegation to Russia, and at EU level via the Council’s working group dedicated to visa issues. This will help ensure a coordinated approach.

Member States will also regularly report to the Commission.

Background

Foreign affairs Ministers reached a political agreement at their informal meeting of 31 August on a common and coordinated way forward when it comes to visas for Russian citizens. This approach includes the suspension of the EU’s Visa Facilitation Agreement with Russia, formally agreed by the Council today; as well as a common EU approach for the non-recognition of Russian passports issued in occupied foreign regions, proposed by the Commission on 6 September. Ministers also agreed that visa applications will continue being processed on an individual basis, based on a case-by-case assessment.

Today’s guidelines follow up on the agreement reached by foreign affairs Ministers and will help Member States implement a common and coordinated approach when dealing with visa applications lodged by Russian citizens and when reassessing valid visas held by Russians citizens.

For More Information

Commission Communication providing guidelines on general visa issuance in relation to Russian applicants

Council Decision on the suspension of the application of the EU-Russia Visa Facilitation Agreement

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Preparations are underway for the administration of the fourth dose with updated vaccines against COVID-19, Acting Director of the Nursing Services Department, Evagoras Tambouris, told CNA on Friday, adding that doses of the updated Pfizer vaccine have already arrived in Cyprus while those of Moderna are also expected before the end of the month.

Following the recommendation of the National Vaccination Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Health, for a fourth vaccination of all persons over the age of 30, as well as persons, regardless of age, who belong to special population categories, with updated vaccines against COVID-19, it is expected that a proposal on the matter is to be sent to the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, for approval.

Tambouris told CNA that when the proposal is approved by the Cabinet they will proceed, and look into the logistics of the matter. He said there is already a suggestion, which is the most prevalent one, to start inoculating by age, seniors first, and gradually move down to younger ages, as well as vulnerable groups.

The nursing services, he added, have already worked on scenarios for the administration of the fourth dose of vaccines to the population, in terms of staffing and organisation of the vaccination centers.

Replying to a question, he said that so far, around 37,000 people have been vaccinated with the fourth dose, which, he said, is a small number. Tambouris said that the numbers are low because of the summer season, and expressed the conviction that, after people return from their holidays, the demand will pick up.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Ahead of President von der Leyen’s State of the Union address, which will take place in Strasbourg on 14 September 2022, the Commission has released an overview of its work and achievements over the past year. It describes the EU’s actions in response to Russia’s unjustified aggression against Ukraine and its efforts to cut EU’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels, as well as progress made on the other political priorities. The publication highlights the Commission’s efforts to strengthen the EU’s resilience through our recovery plan NextGenerationEU and through RePowerEU, to make our economies and societies greener, fairer and more digital, able to withstand economic, societal and health crises. It also elaborates on the EU’s role on the world stage, and highlights the initiatives taken to strengthen the pillars of European democracy, including through the Conference on the Future of Europe. The publication includes a timeline of key events and developments since September 2021. All the latest information about the 2022 State of the Union address can be found on the dedicated webpage.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus Foreign Minister, Ioannis Kasoulides, meets on Friday in Paris, where he is paying a working visit, his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna, with whom he will exchange views on a broad spectrum of issues, focusing on bilateral, regional and international issues, and with whom he will sign a bilateral agreement for the evacuation of French nationals from regions in crisis which are close to Cyprus.

According to a press release issued by the Foreign Ministry, the two Ministers will assess the bilateral relations and the cooperation between Cyprus and France and will look into practical ways of further deepening them in a broad spectrum of fields as education, trade, energy, security and defence.

Kasoulides will brief Colonna about Nicosia’s perception on the next steps in the Cyprus problem, while the two officials will exchange views on the situation in Ukraine, after the Russian invasion of the country, and the complications caused in the food sector and as regards energy supplies. Moreover, they will focus on developments in Syria, Lebanon and Libya.

After the end of their talks, the two Ministers will sign a bilateral agreement for the evacuation of French nationals from regions in crisis which are close to Cyprus.

During his stay in Paris, Kasoulides will also meet with the Secretary of State for European affairs, Laurence Boone.

He will return to Cyprus on Saturday.

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.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

UK High Commission in Cyprus will open a condolence book for Queen Elizabeth’s death, according to a post on its Twitter account.

The flag flies at half-mast over British High Commission “as we mourn the loss of Her Majesty The Queen,” the post said.

The High Commission sends its condolences to the Royal Family and the people of the UK as well as to the Commonwealth.

Source: Cyprus News Agency