Category: General

Foreign Ministers of Cyprus and Greece held a telephone conversation on Tuesday, during which they discussed various issues focusing on the developments in Libya.

 

A tweet by the Cyprus Foreign Ministry says that Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides and his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias had a useful exchange of views on issues regarding the national, regional and European agenda, emphasizing on the developments in Libya.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus condemns the new Russian missile attacks against civilians in Ukraine and expresses its full support and solidarity to the government and people of the country.

 

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs “condemns the new missile attacks against civilian infrastructure and civilians in Ukrainian cities, which resulted in loss of life”.

 

We express full support and solidarity to the Government and people of Ukraine, it says, and reiterates “the need to respect the Sovereignty, Independence and Territorial Integrity of all States”.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Deputy Ministry for Innovation, Research and Digital Policy announced Tuesday that a contract has been signed to modernize the state’s websites which will now be accessible through the new digital portal, gov.cy.

 

The project, that was awarded to EY Cyprus, aims to establish a modern and unified presence for all government services, and improve the experience of citizens when browsing government websites.

 

Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Kyriakos Kokkinos, said that it is one of the most important digital transformation projects of the Deputy Ministry, which is of key importance for the modernization of the state and will have a direct impact on the daily lives of citizens.

 

The content and functions will be constantly enriched and upgraded, he said, adding that the goal is for gov.cy to be the sole point of contact with the state as well as a source of valid information and direct services to the citizens.

 

The project will cost €1.1 million and will be concluded in two phases. The first 65 websites will be developed in 2023.

 

More than 250 websites will be designed or re-designed for a more modern and user-friendly approach, with interactive applications, based on the highest standards, the press release says.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

President Nicos Anastasiades said on Tuesday that there were both right and wrong choices during his presidency, but expressed hope that some of the important reforms will be recognized.

 

He said that the countdown to the end of his tenure has begun and he will be watching the country’s progress from afar.

 

The President added that when the dust settles and all the negativity is gone because of the election campaign, he believes that there will be recognition of the (correct) choices as well.

 

President Anastasiades made the statements while receiving the 2021 annual report by Public Service Commission. He said that despite all the different things said or heard, the Commission’s performance is improved and rules of meritocracy and measurable criteria apply.

 

He added that this proves the correctness of the work performed by the Commission.

 

Delivering the report, the President of the Commission George Papageorgiou said that they took over in July 2021 and in that whole year they had to face the pandemic, however their job was not reduced and they increased their pace and the issues they dealt with because of their excellent associates.

 

He thanked the President of the Republic for his trust, adding that they are trying to adequately respond to their very difficult task.

 

Papageorgiou added that thanks to the President’s political will, the reform of the Public Service was completed and the law was passed and they have a great challenge ahead of them to implement this reform that will establish bigger transparency and objective criteria in the Public Service.

 

Cyprus citizens will vote for a new President in February 2023. Nicos Anastasiades elected in 2013 and in 2018 for a second term, is not running again.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Deputy Minister of Culture Yiannis Toumazis participated in the deliberations of the UNESCO Mondiacult 2022 that took place late September in Mexico.

 

According to a press release issued on Tuesday, in his intervention, Toumazis noted the value of culture as the main component for sustainable development for the next generations, through the connection of heritage, modern creativity and technology.

 

During his stay, he held a series of meetings, including with UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay, Deputy Director General of UNESCO for Culture, Ernesto Renato Ottone Ramirez and his counterparts from Armenia and Jordan.

 

With the Minister of Culture of Armenia, Toumazis discussed the prospects of strengthening cultural cooperation between Cyprus and Armenia and cultural exchanges on an annual basis, while with his Jordanian counterpart he discussed the creation of a Mediterranean cultural network to promote the cultural cooperation of the countries of the region.

 

According to UNESCO, MONDIACULT 2022, the largest world conference devoted to culture in the last 40 years, brought together nearly 2,600 participants over three days in Mexico City. At UNESCO’s and Mexico’s invitation, 150 states sent delegations to the conference, 135 of them were represented at the highest level by ministers of culture.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

 

The total registrations of motor vehicles decreased by 4% to 26,581 in the period January-September 2022, from 27,699 in January-September 2021, according to data published in the report entitled “Registration of Motor Vehicles” by the Statistical Service of Cyprus on Monday.

 

During this period, passenger saloon cars decreased to 21,183 from 21,336 in January-September 2021, recording a fall of 0.7%. Of the total passenger saloon cars, 9,071 or 42.8% were new and 12,112 or 57.2% were used cars. Rental cars in particular recorded a rise of 74.6% to 3,479.

 

Motor coaches and buses registered in January-September 2022 increased to 68, from 45 in the same period of 2021.

 

Goods conveyance vehicles decreased by 6.9% to 2,867 in January-September 2022, compared to 3,081 in January-September 2021. In particular, light goods vehicles increased by 0.8% to 2,313, while heavy goods vehicles decreased by 19.9% to 290, road tractors (units of trailers) by 58.6% to 63 and rental vehicles by 26.4% to 201.

 

At the same period, mopeds < 50cc registered in January-September 2022 decreased to 199 compared to 220 in the corresponding period of the previous year, while mechanised cycles > 50cc decreased by 26.2% to 1,989 in January-September 2022, compared to 2,695 in the same period of 2021.

 

In September 2022, the total registrations of motor vehicles numbered 3,412, recording an increase of 2.6% compared to 3,327 in September 2021. Passenger saloon cars registered a rise of 6.9% to 2,738, from 2,561 in September 2021.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus Foreign Ministry Permanent Secretary, Kornelios Korneliou, leaves on Monday for Tokyo, where he will hold political consultations with the Deputy Assistant Minister for European Affairs of Japan, Kimitake Nakamura.

 

According to a Foreign Ministry press release, in the framework of the political consultations, the two officials are expected to review the bilateral relations between Cyprus and Japan and to deepen the cooperation in the fields of economy, trade and tourism. Moreover, they will exchange views and about the EU-Japan relations. Korneliou will brief his interlocutor about the way with which Nicosia realizes the next steps in the process to reunify Cyprus.

 

Discussions are expected to focus on regional and international challenges which Cyprus and Japan face and the extent to which the two countries are affected by the situation in Ukraine following the Russian invasion and the complications it has caused to the food sector and the energy supplies.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

 

Today, at the press conference launching the 20th European Week of Regions and Cities, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, and the President of the Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, recalled the importance of Cohesion Policy’s emergency response to the inter-related crises Europe has been facing and underlined its centrality for the future as a key part of Europe’s growth model.

 

Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, said: “Cohesion Policy is the glue that holds Europe together. It is Europe’s biggest investment tool, reaching half a trillion euros. Cohesion acted as firefighter in the Covid emergency and is again a first responder in addressing the social and economic consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. It will play a central role in tackling the energy crisis, supporting SMEs and vulnerable households, as well as enabling Member States to reduce their dependence from imported fossil fuels and to develop renewable sources of energy. Cohesion is laying the foundation for Europe’s long-term prosperity.”

 

President of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Alves Cordeiro, said: “Cohesion Policy is the EU’s main long term investment tool strengthening economic, social and territorial cohesion. It has also played a major role for regions and cities to support people during the pandemic and is helping them face the consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine. As the Committee of the Regions’ Annual Report shows, the importance of Cohesion Policy for local communities is stronger than ever, with 83% of local and regional representatives saying that this is the policy that brings the most added value to their territory. This week is also about debating the future of Cohesion Policy. For regions and cities, it must remain a cornerstone of the green and digital transition, amongst others.”

 

Cohesion policy fosters convergence

 

According to the 8th Cohesion report and to the new Working paper on the impact of Cohesion Policy in the 2014-2020 period just published, Cohesion Policy has a significant impact on regional growth. Thanks to its support, in 2019 the GDP gap of Central and Eastern countries that became members after 2004 has halved (from 59% of EU average to 77%). Cohesion Policy funding will increase the GDP per capita of less developed regions by up to 5% by 2023.

 

In the long term, Cohesion Policy is also benefitting developed regions thanks to interregional spill over effects. Each euro spent on projects supported by the Policy has generated €2.70 of additional GDP in the EU.

 

A policy at the forefront of the fight against crises

 

Cohesion Policy has been at the forefront of the fight against crises, such as the Covid pandemic and Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.

 

Thanks to the Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe (REACT-EU), Member States have already programmed €45.2 billion for their recovery after the pandemic and are starting concrete implementation on the ground.

 

With the Cohesion’s Action for the Refugees of Europe (CARE), the Commission has disbursed an additional liquidity of €10 billion to help Member States welcoming refugees from Ukraine. A further €330 million of Cohesion Policy funding is planned to support the needs of refugees.

 

A boost for energy transition

 

In 2014-2020, Cohesion Policy has invested about €27.5 billion across the EU directly in key energy projects and critical infrastructures in gas and electricity. This includes LNG terminals in Poland and Greece, major gas pipelines, gas storage facilities and power grids in Central Europe.

 

Cohesion Policy supported projects in energy efficiency, with about €19.2 billion, of which €15 billion for the renovation of buildings.

 

Also, the Just Transition Mechanism will help leverage much-needed private investments for upcoming energy efficiency projects reducing Europe’s dependency on Russian gas.

 

All these investments help mitigating the impact of the energy crisis today.

 

Background

 

Cohesion Policy is the EU’s main investment policy representing about one third of the EU budget. The objective of the Policy is to reduce economic, social and territorial disparities within the EU. Recently the policy has also helped EU regions to deal with the consequences of the biggest crises in the EU.

 

From 10 until 13 October, Brussels will host the 20th European Week of Regions and Cities. More than 15,000 participants will attend onsite and online to the event which will host more than 300 sessions, with over 1000 speakers from across the EU and beyond. The topics of the EU Regions Week are the green transition, territorial Cohesion, the digital transition and youth empowerment.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Commission announced a series of measures to continue supporting those fleeing the unprovoked Russian aggression. A new online job-search tool launched today will help people fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to successfully find a job in the European Union. After registering with the EU Talent Pool pilot initiative, those under temporary protection can upload their CVs, so that their profiles are available to more than 4,000 employers, national public employment services and private employment agencies. Ensuring a swift and effective integration into the labour market is important both for host communities, and for those fleeing the war to rebuild their lives. A press release is available online (For more information: Anitta Hipper – Tel.: +32 229 85691; Veerle Nuyts – Tel.: +32 229 96302)

 

 

 

EU Cohesion Policy: Commission welcomes the inauguration of one of the biggest EU-funded projects in the EU and Greece

 

Today one of the biggest Cohesion Policy-funded projects in the EU and in Greece, the extension of metro line in Athens, is inaugurated. This project received an EU contribution of €470 million. Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, said: “Thanks to Cohesion Policy funds the life of citizens in the greater area of Athens and Piraeus will be improved. The metro will reach the city of Pireaus, the third biggest city in Greece and will connect the country’s largest airport to the largest port in less than an hour. This major project will also foster growth and create substantial benefits to the national economy of Greece.” This project completes metro line 3 from Athens to Piraeus and drastically improves accessibility of the urban transportation network in the urban area of Attica. With three new stations – Maniatika, Piraeus port and Municipal Theater – for the first time citizens can reach the administrative, commercial and business center of Piraeus from its suburbs, Maniatika, Nikaia, Korydallos and, by extension, Neapoli in a matter of just a few minutes. The expected mobility changes will be fundamental to reduce the traffic in the central axes of the city and the wider region. With the completion of the project, an additional population of 174,000 persons is expected to have easy access to the Metro network. This will reduce the use of private vehicles and the carbon dioxide emissions. This project is part of the wider Cohesion Policy investments in public transport infrastructures in the region of Attica, which notably include metro, tram, bus and suburban rail networks. On March 2017, the Commission approved the second phase of the EU financing of the metro. More on EU funded projects in Greece here. (For more information: Stefan De Keersmaecker – Tel.: +32 229 84680; Veronica Favalli – Tel.: +32 229 87269)

 

 

 

Commission supports Member States to foster gender equality in policy-making and public expenditure

 

Today the Commission launched a project to help Member States implement gender equality policies tackling gender-based discrimination. This project, financed by the Technical Support Instrument (TSI), will support both national and regional administrations to improve their capacity to take decisions and invest public money in a way that benefits equally both men and women. Through workshops, conferences, training sessions and study visits, participants from public administrations will gain new tools, skills and knowledge to plan laws and budget not to directly or indirectly exclude citizens based on their gender. The project will involve 9 national and regional administrations from 7 Member states that have submitted their request for support: France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Romania. It will produce useful recommendations for policymakers on the so-called ‘gender-budgeting’ – structuring spending and taxation in ways that advance gender equality. Effective policies could, for example, include paid parental leave, equal pay, gender-related pension reforms. This TSI project will last until December 2024 and will produce results that may be replicated and shared across the EU. The TSI offers expertise to all EU countries for the implementation of growth-enhancing reforms. The support offered by the Commission is based on request and is tailor-made for the beneficiary Member State. Since 2017, the Structural Reform Support Programme and the TSI have been supporting over 1,400 reform projects in all Member States. For more details here. (For more information: Stefan De Keersmaecker – Tel.: +32 229 84680; Veronica Favalli – Tel.: +32 229 87269)

 

 

 

Culture Moves Europe: the largest EU mobility scheme provides new opportunities for artists and cultural professionals

 

Today, the Commission launches Culture Moves Europe, its new permanent mobility scheme for artists and cultural professionals, as well as a first call for individual mobility, during a high-level event in Brussels, Belgium. Benefiting from a total budget of €21 million under the Creative Europe programme for a three-year-period (2022-2025), Culture Moves Europe becomes the largest European mobility scheme for artists and cultural professionals targeting all Creative Europe countries and sectors covered by the Culture Strand of the programme. Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel, said: “With Culture Moves Europe, the Commission paves the way for the future of the cultural and creative sectors. And it offers enhanced opportunities for emerging artists and cultural professionals to gear up their skills and their ties with European partners. It acknowledges how mobility exchanges shape our present and influences the future of our intertwined communities. It bridges mobility with sustainability and inclusion, as promoted by the European Green Deal.” Implemented by the Goethe-Institut on behalf of the Commission, Culture Moves Europe comprises two actions: individual mobility and residencies. Through mobility grants, it will offer an opportunity to around 7,000 individual artists and cultural professionals to go abroad, in the EU and beyond, for professional development or international collaborations, to take part in artistic residencies or to host artists and cultural professionals. The residencies action will be launched in early 2023. A press release is available online. (For more information: Sonya Gospodinova – Tel.: +32 229 66953; Federica Miccoli – Tel.: +32 229 58300)

 

 

 

World Mental Health Day: Commission’s report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people’s mental health

 

Today, on the occasion of World Mental Health Day, the Commission’s Youth Wiki network has published the report ‘The Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of young people – Policy responses in European countries’. This report examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people’s mental health and the policy measures that have been put in place by Member States to mitigate the impact of lockdowns, which resulted in loneliness and isolation for many young Europeans. Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel, said: “Young people have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. They saw their lives turned upside down. We must continue to support our youth with concrete interventions. Opportunities to re-engage and participate in the community, dedicated support services and inclusion of those most vulnerable must be at the core of our efforts.” This report identifies the main factors that have affected young people’s mental health during the pandemic and develops a detailed overview of the policies, initiatives and programmes established to address them. It also offers examples of good practices to support young people’s mental health and suggests future directions in policy making. Among the measures taken, some countries made investments to strengthen mental health services, to provide psychological support both at school and at home. Other countries chose to foster digital inclusion and avoid the isolation of students. Reinforcing young people’s wellbeing is also a priority of the 2021 EU Health Award. Mental health is also a thematic area in the new European Solidarity Corps (2021-2027). Since 2005, the Commission has devoted increased attention to mental health and wellbeing, notably through the Healthier Together initiative on non-communicable diseases. For more information on our latest work on mental health, please consult this page. Read the full report here. (For more information: Sonya Gospodinova – Tel.: +32 229 66953; Federica Miccoli – Tel.: +32 229 58300)

 

 

 

European Citizens’ Initiative: successful ‘Save bees’ initiative presented to the Commission

 

Today, the ‘Save bees and farmers! Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment’ initiative has become the seventh successful European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI). It has reached over one million statements of support from EU citizens, the organisers confirmed. The initiative calls on the Commission to propose legal measures to phase out synthetic pesticides by 2035, to restore biodiversity and to support farmers in this transition. The Commission will meet the organisers to discuss the initiative in detail in the next weeks. A public hearing will then be organised by the European Parliament. The Commission has until 7 April 2023 to present its official reply, outlining the actions it intends to take: whether to propose legislation, take other non-legislative actions or not act at all. This initiative is the seventh ECI to have successfully collected the threshold of one million signatures from at least seven Member States, demonstrating that European citizens can help create European policies. More information on the other successfully concluded ECIs are available on this website. (For more information: Christian Wigand – Tel.: +32 229 62253; Cristina Torres Castillo – Tel.: +32 229-90679)

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The International Maritime Organisation’s chief and the EU Transport Commissioner called for global solutions in the issue of reducing Green House Gases in shipping.

 

Kitack Lim, the IMO Secretary-General and Adina Valean, the EU Commissioner were speaking at a panel discussion during the Maritime Conference 2022 titled “Shipping Response to the 3 Cs” namely crisis, challenges and change.

 

“Climate change knows borders, it requires global solutions, there are challenges but also opportunities and we must all work together”, he IMO chief said.

 

He also stressed that “our globalised world, the pandemic showed how reliant we are to global supply chains.”

 

“Technology holds the key for more efficient and sustainable shipping”, Lim added, noting that next year is considered to be crucial as the organisation will implement its revised CHG strategy.

 

The IMO chief said the strategy includes the various levels of ambition in combating climate change.

 

“I am confident that progress will continue on a global level in the upgraded CHG levels,” he went on to say.

 

On her part, Commissioner Valean said the last years were no easy for shipping, following the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, noting that the EU maritime sector has seen less disruption which showed what the EU EU maritime community has done.

 

But she noted “we cannot be complacent, we need to build a more resilient maritime sector,” adding our role is to set a “clear and stable framework” for the shipping industry.

 

Moreover, the EU Commissioner said the EU is technology neutral in terms of the means to achieve CHG reduction in shipping noting that “we are interested in outcome but you know best how to get there.”

 

However, Valean noted that “we are to a point in time in which we are forced to rethink our relationship with fuels.”

 

Valean acknowledged that “things cannot change over-night,” adding that “but we need to set our sights to the end-goal” for climate neutrality.

 

“We need clear rules at a global level,” she concluded.

 

Cyprus Deputy Minister for Shipping, Vassilis Demetriades, who narrated the discussion, stressed that regulators should be mindful of an additional “C”, namely certainty in the regulatory environment.

 

“It seems that all regulatory leaders are on the same boat, there is a clear commitment to reach global solutions. We should le great listeners to the industry and act facilitators for the shipping community to become greener and competitive,” he said.

 

Shipowners and Chairman also call for global solutions

 

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In a discussion, Philippos Philis, Chairman of the European Community Shipowners Association, said he EU is moving faster towards climate neutrality and highlighted the need he EU shipping should safeguard its competitiveness.

 

“It is important to maintain our competitiveness,” he said and he pointed to the risk of retaliation stating that if one jurisdiction implements stricter standards another jurisdiction could respond with even stricter requirements.

 

On his part, Themis Papadopoulos, Vice Chairman of International Chamber of Shipping, said climate change knows no borders, adding that solutions for decarbonisation need to be global.

 

He also said that regional regulations are less likely to be reciprocated by other regions.

 

“We really need to use this time to have an agreement in the IMO, it is not an easy task but somehow we need to differences aside and find a common ground,” Papadopoulos said.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency