Day: November 2, 2022

Jeroen Lenaers, Chair of the European Parliament’s committee of inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware, PEGA, said the Committee has received answers from Cypriot officials and will now “corroborate them” with other information at the Committee’s disposal.

 

A delegation of the committee, which is visiting Cyprus as of yesterday, on Wednesday held separate meetings with the Attorney-General Giorgos Savvides as well a joint meeting with the Minister of Commerce Natasa Pilides and Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Kyriacos Kokkinos.

 

“We had a very intensive exchange of view with the Attorney General (who) gave an extensive explanation as to his role in the legal system in Cyprus and what he could share about the investigation in the van case for instance,” the Dutch MEP said responding to questions by journalist following the meeting with Savvides.

 

“They were many questions from the colleagues in the European Parliament, he tried to answer them all and of course we need to discuss now among our colleagues what we do in the follow up of these questions,” he added.

 

Replying to a question whether the Attorney-General gave any details of the criminal investigation for a spy van in Cyprus, Lenaers said Savvides “gave the explanation that he could share with us.”

 

Asked whether he found the responses he received as consistent with their inquiry, the PEGA Chair refrained from commenting, stating that they’ve just finished the meeting.

 

“We need to of course discuss with my colleagues at the end of this visit, as well all the information received today by the Attorney-General but also by the Ministers and other people we spoke to,” he said recalling that they will also meeting with Committees of the Cypriot Parliament

 

“And we will take all the information we’ve received and we will check it with other sources of information that we also have to our availability and the we will come to our final conclusions which you will find in the report of the European parliament,” he said.

 

Responding to a question over their meeting with the Minister of Commerce and the Deputy Minister for Innovation, Lenaers described the meeting as “very interesting meeting,” noting that the Committee will discuss the meetings internally.

 

“I have to say from the Ministers’ point of view a lot of information was given to us, we’ve asked a lot of questions there were also one by one answered and now we need to see what to do with those answers and corroborate them in other ways,” Lenaers added.

 

The Committee which is visiting Cyprus in the context of an inquiry on the use of spyware in Greece, will visit Athens for a series of meetings on Wednesday through Friday.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The BQ1 sub-variant of the coronavirus is expected to come to Cyprus as well, member of the Advisory Scientific Committee, Professor of Microbiology/Molecular Virology at the University of Nicosia Medical School, Petros Karayiannis has told CNA, noting however that it is not more pathogenic than other subvariants of Omicron.

 

For the coming winter, he predicted a new outbreak, but said that this will probably be at the level of the outbreak we had in the summer and urged vulnerable groups of the society to get vaccinated.

 

He explained that the new strains of the coronavirus do not appear to be more pathogenic than the previous ones.

 

Therefore, he noted, we do not expect the new strains to put pressure on the health systems or to take any restrictive measures other than the use of masks indoors.

 

He urged citizens who are over 60 years old with underlying conditions to be vaccinated.

 

Concluding, he said that “they are making a mistake not to protect themselves because we do not know who will get sick and how seriously they will get. If they want to protect their health, they should get vaccinated, he concluded.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus was selected by the European Commission to host the European Maritime Day for 2026.

 

The decision was adopted Wednesday by the Cyprus Cabinet and was announced by Deputy Minister of Shipping Vasilios Demetriades.

 

He said that European Maritime Days is celebrated every year, since 2008, on May 20. Cyprus submitted a candidacy for 2026 which coincides with the assumption by Cyprus of the EU rotating Presidency.

 

The Deputy Minister said that the coastal city chosen is Limassol, but the state’s proposal is to hold individual events in all the coastal cities of the island.

 

He described the decision as a very important development for Cyprus which will become a center of attraction for thousands of Europeans who are involved with shipping, the sea and the blue economy.

 

He added that it will be an effort to promote Cyprus’ activities related to these sectors and also to enter into partnerships with local bodies, companies and academic institutions.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The State Department says that it is vital that the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) is able to to fulfill its mission throughout the island, as authorized by the UN Security Council, while reiterating the US position in favor a bi-zonal, bi-communal federal settlement to the Cyprus problem.

 

Responding to a question from the Athens News Agency (ANA-MPA) concerning the demand of the Turkish Cypriot side, as reported in the press, that the UN sign a separate status of forces agreement (SOFA) with the illegal entity operating in the Turkish-occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus, a State Department representative said that “the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus plays a critical stabilizing role and it is vital that it is able to to fulfill its mission throughout the island, as authorized by the UN Security Council, to cooperate with the parties to the conflict in Cyprus and to create political space towards the resolution” of the Cyprus issue.

 

The representative also reiterated that the US “supports a comprehensive settlement under the leadership of the United Nations for the reunification of the island on the basis of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality, which would benefit all Cypriots as well as the wider region.”

 

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.

 

The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), comprising military and civilian personnel from various contributing countries, arrived in Cyprus in March 1964 after intercommunal fighting broke out. The mandate of the force is renewed every six months by the Security Council.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

 

The Council of Ministers approved on Wednesday the second supplementary 2022 budget of a total of 345.1 million euro, which corresponds to 0.4% of GDP.

 

In statements after the meeting of the Council of Ministers, Minister of Finance Constantinos Petrides noted that 30 million euro of the second supplementary budget are for the continuation of the subsidy due to the increased price of electricity charges.

 

Regarding the subsidy for heating oil, he said that just like diesel and petrol, this subsidy continues.

 

These, he said, are subsidized through reduced excise duty and pointed out that Cyprus is one of the few countries that have reduced excise duty on fuel. For heating oil, it is 6.4 cents per liter and for diesel and petrol around 8.5 cents per liter.

 

Other smaller funds of the second supplementary budget, he said, include for example 10 million euro for hosting Ukrainian refugees, one million euro for hosting unaccompanied children looking for asylum, increased government funds to some universities, support measures for farmers of 4.4 million euro, purchase of medicines and vaccines 3.8 million euro, plan for treatment of Cypriots abroad 3 million euro, increased social benefits for people with disabilities 1.4 million euro.

 

Recalling that the first supplementary budget of this year was 102 million euro, he said it was for covering measure costs due to COVID, as well as for the support of some social groups and the support to the agriculture and health sectors, among others.

 

The Minister of Finance stated that economic forecast remains unchanged.

 

There is no change in the forecasts for the fiscal debt or any other macroeconomic indicators, he said, adding that this is because “we had foreseen that, due to the emergency situation, this money would be provided through supplementary budgets”.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal submitted by Ministry of Transport for the installation of 1,000 public charging stations for electric vehicles, with a budget of 3.7 million euro.

 

The charging infrastructure is included in the objectives of the General Policy Framework for the promotion of the use of electric vehicles, approved by the Council of Ministers in 2021, an announcement says.

 

A scheme named “Electrification with 1000” was included in Cyprus’ Recovery and Resilience Plan, under the chapter “Rapid transition to a Green Economy – Sustainable Transports”.

 

The project will be implemented in two phases with a total available budget of €3,700,000. Applications for Phase A will be submitted until 31/01/2023 and the amount allocated reaches €1,850,000. Phase B is expected to be announced around the end of 2023.

 

The potential beneficiaries include natural and legal persons (Companies, Associations, Foundations), Non-Governmental Organizations, legal persons under public law, Local Government Authorities that are owners or tenants of “parking for public use” and operate in areas under the control of the Republic of Cyprus.

 

The eligible installation points are, among others, parking spaces for public use, municipal and community parking spaces, private parking spaces for the public and petrol station spaces.

 

Each beneficiary can receive funding for four recharging stations, per district, with a maximum number of fifteen throughout Cyprus, with the exception of local authorities who can receive funding to place up to eight stations within their territory.

 

The project provides financing at a rate of 50% of the total expenditure, with a maximum amount of financing depending on the maximum output power of the charger. Charging stations that will be installed in mountainous areas will receive an increased percentage of sponsorship up to 55%.

 

Minister of Transport, Communications and Works Yiannis Karousos said after the meeting of the Cabinet, that this is an implementation of yet another goal of the policy framework for the development of electric mobility in Cyprus, in terms of infrastructure.

 

The goal, he said, is to install a thousand recharging stations in publicly accessible areas by 2026, and this is a program that is included in the Recovery and Resilience fund.

 

The online portal is operational and interested parties can register their applications. More information about the scheme, can be found on https://ev1000.cea.org.cy.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Republic of Cyprus fully respects the constitutional right to privacy of communications expressed by the explicit provisions of the constitution and legislation, Attorney General George Savvides said on Wednesday, when asked about a meeting he had earlier on Wednesday with a delegation of the European Parliament’s PEGA committee. For his part, Deputy Research Minister Kyriakos Kokkinos, who met separately with MEPs, referred to the revision of the legislative framework for the supervision of surveillance companies.

 

Answering questions from journalists on the sidelines of the e-Law project launch ceremony held in Nicosia on Wednesday, Savvides said that “the van case is closed” and that “there is no question of new criminal charges”.

 

“What I told the committee is that as a country and as Attorney General I am fully aware of the importance of preserving the right to private communication. If at any time I find that there is any evidence that could reasonably lead to the initiation of criminal investigations or even criminal prosecutions I am at their disposal and we will be in touch wherever we need to talk and if there is such information, we will take those steps that are required,” he continued.

 

He also stressed that the Republic of Cyprus fully respects the constitutional right to privacy of communications expressed by the explicit provisions of the constitution and legislation, as well as the many safeguards required by the constitutional legislator in order to allow for the interception of private conversations.

 

Referring to the meeting with the PEGA committee, Savvides said that “I had the opportunity to receive the large group of MEPs, I gave them an analysis of both the work of the Attorney General” and the constitutional and legislative framework “which determines how interception works, that is, under what strict conditions the right to private conversation can be violated”.

 

“I explained to them about the investigations we conducted in relation to the van and answered a series of questions from MEPs within the legislative framework that binds me” and also based on “the legislative framework that defines their own competences,” he noted.

 

The Attorney General also clarified that a distinction must be made between a criminal investigation and an inquiry committee. “Investigative committees are by law given evidence of what the investigative committee did. A criminal inquiry is something completely different, the legal framework completely separates it by saying that (the report from a criminal inquiry) is fully protected by its holder, which in this case is the Attorney General,” he said.

 

Review of legislative framework by March-April 2023, said the Deputy Minister of Research and Innovation

 

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According to Deputy Minister of Research and Innovation Kyriakos Kokkinos, PEGA committee has shown understanding that Cyprus “has these companies, but there is a legal framework of operation and a supervisory mechanism for these companies and we have explained this framework”.

 

In remarks on the sidelines of the e-Law project implementation event, he said that “at the same time we have emphasised and they have welcomed the fact that these two frameworks are under review and a bill will soon be in Parliament to further strengthen the legal framework”.

 

He further clarified that the legal framework is fully compatible with the European acquis, adding that “we are just going to make it even stronger”. He said that the new legislative framework will be ready in March-April 2023.

 

During the meeting with the committee, he said PEGA has raised a number of questions and they have all been answered, in their own words, adequately and “they are satisfied”.

 

He said that there have been countries that have not accepted the committee and finally said that “they have praised the fact that they have been accepted by the Attorney General and also have stressed their satisfaction that Cyprus is the only country that answered the questionnaire that they sent two months ago.

 

Police began investigating the case of the “spy van” in November 2019. February 2022, Larnaca criminal court imposed a 76,000 euro fine on WiSpear Systems Limited, a company selling surveillance systems, over the “spy van” case. In November 2021 the data protection authority had imposed an administrative fine of 925,000 euro on WiSpear for GDPR violations. In the same year, the attorney-general dropped all charges against three individuals in connection with the case.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus’ Interior Minister, Nikos Nouris on Wednesday said that those proven to have been involved in the recent incidents at the Pournara Reception Center will be deported, noting that, what had taken place there, “was hardly surprising” as it was a result of the overpopulation of the Centre.

 

The Minister was referring to the clashes last week at the reception centre between migrants for which dozens of arrest warrants were issued. He said that his Ministry has taken a series of measures that came with a hefty financial burden and that additional actions were underway to mitigate the problem on the one hand within Pournara and on the other, to improve the infrastructure as well as security for the neighbouring communities, first of all Kokkinotrimithia.

 

Nouris further said that a series of other measures will also be studied such as expediting the process for the erection of a new fence at the Center for €1.2 million. He said that they would consult with the contractors of the project, so as to limit exits from the Center.

 

The Minister also said that authorities were reinforcing the fence along the highway near Pournara and a process has begun with the help of the Nicosia Sewerage Board for the sanitary problems faced in the Center. Furthermore, there are a series of measures which mainly concern the Police in terms of security in Kokkinotrimithia, such as the improvement of street lighting, increasing patrols and other measures which, as he said, will be discussed with the Police.

 

Asked about the arrest warrants issued after the events in Pournara, Nouris said there will be deportations.

 

He reiterated that the State is trying to help and support the people who arrive in the country “in any way and with any means at our disposal”, but said that it was clear, many problems are being faced in terms of reception because of numbers “far beyond our capacity”.

 

“However, we require from the people who arrive in our country to show basic respect for our country and its infrastructure,” he said. So, he added, it is for this reason that specific articles of the relevant legislation will be activated and those who are proven to have been involved in the incidents will be deported.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The European Parliament’s PEGA delegation of the Inquiry Committee on Pegasus and other spyware held a meeting on Wednesday with the members of the House of Representatives’ Committees on Legal Affairs and Institutions.

 

The MEPs raised a series of questions including why Cyprus is an attractive destination for companies that sell software and monitoring services from Israel and what can the Cypriot Parliament do to investigate and control these complaints. The Cyprus-Israel relations were also raised.

 

Chair of the EP PEGA Committee Jeroen Lenaers said that meeting with the Cypriot Parliament was the highlight of their visit to Cyprus. He mentioned that there are a lot of questions related to the spyware van adding that he is interested to know more about the parliamentary dimension of the case, what has been done in the Parliament to receive information and to investigate.

 

MEP and rapporteur of the issue Sophia In’t Veld noted that this is a European issue and Cyprus is playing a very important role in the investigation of the subject. She said that one aspect is the abuse of spyware by European Authorities in their own citizens and another one is the issue of the exports of this kind of software.

 

She asked MPs to send her any documentation they have regarding the subject as soon as possible, since the first draft of her report is due next week.

 

“We have been explained about how there are very strict rules on exports and the use of spyware. Cyprus is a very attractive place for companies, not just for spyware, but the whole business of “hacking for hire”. They are coming to Cyprus. There are six companies that have been established by board members or former employees of NSO and they have their administration here. And I wonder: if you are coming from Israel, why do you go to Cyprus to have your administration here? It makes no sense”, she wondered.

 

Furthermore, she said that, since the devil is in the details, more clarifications are needed regarding the van and its equipment and whether it was returned to its owners.

 

Also, she noted that there’s not been any official wiretapping on journalists or other people. “What if it’s something that it’s been ordered by a third body? Because the spyware and the other technology are here, they are available”, she asked.

 

Finally, regarding Israel, she said that when they traveled there, they saw that they have a strict licensing system, but at the same time, marketing in export licensing systems are also a matter of political currency, in international relations.

 

“This morning we learnt that Cyprus is looking at the Israeli model of licensing, I am not convinced that it’s the best model to copy”, she concluded.

 

Chairman of the joint Committees’ meeting Cypriot MP and Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee Nicos Tornaritis presented at the beginning the constitutional and legislative framework of the Republic of Cyprus on the issue of surveillance.

 

He pointed out that the Committee on Legal Affairs will discuss during its next meeting about the production and distribution of software that may be used for illegal surveillance.

 

Chairman of the Institutions Committee Demetris Demetriou said that belief in freedom, human rights and privacy is absolute and inviolable. He talked about the Parliament’s responsible manner, saying that although there is no party majority, laws related to the issue are passed.

 

It is recalled that this year the European Parliament decided to set up the PEGA Committee to investigate alleged infringement or maladministration in application of EU law in relation to the use of Pegasus and equivalent spyware surveillance software.

 

According to the EP, in particular, the PEGA Committee is asked to gather information on the extent to which Member States or third countries are using intrusive surveillance to the extent that it violates the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency