Category: General

The contract for the construction of the highway connecting the Nicosia rural communities Astromeritis and Evrychou was signed in a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace on Thursday. The ceremony was attended by the President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Yannis Karoussos and representatives of the communities.

Astromeritis is a village 42 km west of Nicosia and the road connecting it to Evrychou, a village 56 km far from Nicosia, is the main road towards Troodos Mountain range.

Construction of the project is expected to take 36 months and to begin next month. Its total cost amounts to €88,627,630 including VAT. It will be a four-lane highway, 11 kilometers long. It includes an uneven junction, uneven crossings and two level junctions for the interconnection with the existing road network. .

Addressing the event President Anastasiades said that this ambitious project is officially on track for implementation.

With these projects, the upgrading of the quality of life of the inhabitants, the attraction of visitors and tourists, the stimulation of existing economic activities, the attraction of investments and the increase of employment as well as the creation of new jobs are enhanced, he said, in order “to retain the young people who already live there or to give them incentives to return to our communities.”

The contract was signed by the deputy director of the Department of Public Works, Eleni Kaskiri, and the representative of the Cybarco-Pharmakas company, Iraklis Passadis.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Days away from the Commission President’s State of the Union address, we recall an important pledge in last year’s speech; a European Care Strategy to support men and women in finding the best care and the best life balance for them. The need to receive or give care is something that is common to us all throughout our lives. One in three Europeans are estimated to have care responsibilities and over 9.1 million people, mostly women, are working in the care sector.

In the European Union, we strive to create a society where all of us, young and old, and regardless of our physical abilities, have equal opportunities to pursue our life goals. Therefore, it is our objective to achieve greater recognition for the value of both professional and informal care and to ensure that high quality care services are accessible to everyone.

Quality, accessible and affordable care empowers women to have better access to the labour market, increases their ability to remain in it and to take their desired career path. Currently in the EU, around 7.7 million women, in comparison to 450,000 men are kept out of employment because of informal care responsibilities. Women and men alike must be able to make a real choice when combining private and professional obligations. Therefore, investing in childcare and long-term care is an investment in gender equality.

High quality care is needed at all points of the lifecycle. When children participate in early childhood education and care it boosts their development and helps to reduce the risk of social exclusion for an equal start in life. More adapted care options in Europe will help to relieve the burden for families of children with disabilities, for whom half are currently cared for solely by their parents.

As part of the new European Care Strategy presented on 7 September, the European Commission is proposing to revise the Barcelona targets for childcare so that at least 50% of children below the age of three participate in early childhood education and care, up from the current target of 33%. In Cyprus, the enrolment rate stands at 31%. Progress has been made at EU-level in the last 20 years, however the differences between Member States are vast, ranging from 6% to 66%. With these new ambitious yet realistic targets, our aim is to see real progress in all Member states and regions.

Our European Care Strategy also makes concrete recommendations for improved long-term care. The COVID-19 pandemic has put a magnifying glass on the need for a more resilient care system.

As Europe is going through a significant demographic transition, which is also marked by an ageing population, the number of persons potentially in need of long-term care is expected to increase from around 30 million in 2019 to almost 40 million in 2050. Around 52 million Europeans provide informal long-term care to family members or friends.

High-quality and affordable long-term care empowers older people and persons with disabilities by helping them maintain their autonomy and live in dignity. The Strategy’s person-centred approach therefore aims to offer a choice of services in line with people’s needs. We want Member States to increase the availability and variety of professional long-term care services such as homecare, community-based care and residential care. Long-term care services that are well integrated with healthcare can help reduce the burden on hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

The care sector is facing dramatic shortages of workers, and we must tackle the root of the problem by improving working conditions, wages and training. More than 9.1 million people in the EU —90% of them women — currently work in the care sector. At least 1.6 million long-term care workers need to join the sector by 2050 to keep long-term care coverage at the same level, which we know is not always adequate.

For us to reach an equal and fair society, we must make the leap and provide citizens with the right options. People must be able to balance professional and family duties. Every child must be provided with accessible quality childcare. Every elderly person and person with a disability must have the right support and quality care services. Every care worker must be valued in their profession.

Let us give people a quality choice for a quality future. Care gives a high return on investment. It is high time to care about care.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The amount of money needed for works at Dikomo landfill, where the remains of approximately 70 Greek Cypriots are believed to be buried, is huge, close to 10 million euro, but we cannot but to proceed as we have reliable information, said Leonidas Pantelides, the Greek Cypriot member of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP), in an interview with the Cyprus News Agency.

The 70 persons from Assia village were killed during the 1974 Turkish invasion at Ornithi and later their remains were removed by the illegal regime in the occupied areas and were buried at a landfill at Dikomo during the 90’s.

The landfill was later closed and underwent works. All the garbage, tons of waste, were buried under what is seen today as a huge hill. The works with EU funding were overseen by a Portuguese expert.

This expert visited Cyprus a several times in the past few months and prepared a very detailed report of 80 pages citing all risks and dangers associated with works to locate the remains of the Greek Cypriots who are believed to be buried in three spots along a road that was used by tracks to carry the waste.

Pantelides said that they will get in touch with donors to secure the money, adding that works will take approximately 5-6 years to be concluded.

He explained that the report cites step by step all the works that are needed in order to locate the remains which will take place in three phases, all the technical difficulties and risks.

Pantelides said that CMP’s job will begin once a company, that will be hired to move the tons of garbage, will finish its work and the road is unearthed.

Then the archeologists will start digging the place in an effort to locate the remains. He explained that the garbage need to be transferred elsewhere and this is an issue we are faced with as there are environmental risks. During the last phase the garbage will be transferred back to the pit and the whole place will be handed as it was seen before the excavations.

CMP member told the Cyprus News Agency that when the garbage was buried there, pipes were placed for the methane to be extracted and these pipes need to also be removed. He said that the Portuguese expert knows the technicalities associated with the pipe system and he must be present to oversee the whole project.

He also added that when CMP archeologists start digging, there is a serious risk of inhaling a dangerous gas in the lower level of the ground. The sides of the hill could also collapse, he added, therefore we are faced with all these hazards when we will carry out the job.

The expert’s report will be used as a manual for all the works.

In addition, a separate team of archeologists will be working at the landfill because CMP wishes for the whole excavation and exhumation program not to be hindered. A separate risk has to do with not getting permission from the environmental authorities of the illegal regime in the occupied areas, an issue that worries CMP.

The information for the Greek Cypriots’ remains moved to Dikomo landfill comes from a very reliable source who spoke to the third member of the CMP and the Turkish Cypriot member in 2019. The third member then prepared a detailed report with all the information. This source never spoke to the Greek Cypriot member’s office.

The initial information said that at Ornithi approximately 70 people were killed and 68 were identified.

The missing persons’ list includes 2,002 people of whom 492 are Turkish Cypriot and 1,510 are Greek Cypriot.

CMP, Pantelides said, of course works and makes efforts to locate all of them and we hope we do find them. The information keeps coming in but time is not on our side, he told the Cyprus News Agency.

A total of seven teams work for excavations and exhumations, one in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus and 6 in the Turkish-occupied areas, including one in military areas.

Recently the remains of three people, Turkish Cypriots, were found in a well in Troulloi village in Larnaka district. They believed to be missing persons from the 1964 period.

Pantelides told the Cyprus News Agency that they get a lot of information for wells, some 200 cases. A new method is now used to clean the well, which takes less time, and if human remains are located, then the archeologists go down and start digging with the traditional ways.

An excavation is also ongoing at Strovolos area for the remains of Turkish Cypriots.

Pantelides said that the last time remains of Turkish Cypriots were found was 7 years ago, therefore this development is hopeful and positive.

In the occupied areas the ongoing works are at a well in Afaneia, in Templos, in Petra tou Digeni, in Kontea, Agios Amvrosios and Kionelli.

Remains were found in Agios Amvrosios and Petra tou Digeni which likely belong to 2 people. The remains in Agios Amvrosios could belong to civilians from neighboring villages who went missing in 1974.

Works are now done with the use of drones and scanning and new methods are also used to combine information.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Since then, the fate of hundreds of people remains unknown.

A Committee on Missing Persons has been established, upon agreement between the leaders of the two communities, with the scope of exhuming, identifying and returning to their relatives the remains of 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots, who went missing during the inter-communal fighting of 1963-1964 and in 1974.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The number of applications approved for participation in the Restructuring Scheme “Estia” have increased, reaching 1,049. At the same time, 881 objections were approved and these applications will be possibly re-examined for participation in the scheme, compared to 543 last March.

Head of the Estia Scheme at the Labour Minister, Marios Savvides said the cases of all those who filed objections to the rejection of their applications have been completed. Letters to a total of 304 applicants are expected to be sent on the outcome of their objection. Applicants have the right to file a second objection to their applications’ decision.

Savvides said that out of the total 6,398 applications that have been submitted, incomplete applications amount to 1,912, while 4,486 concern complete applications, of which 1,049 have received final approval.

A total of 1,947 (45%) applications that were properly filed have been approved.

Savvides further said that 2,507 objections were submitted of which 881 were approved for re-examination and possible participation in the Scheme while 1,289 were rejected, ten were withdrawn and 23 were obsolete.

The Restructuring Scheme “Estia” is a special scheme prepared by the Government and was approved by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition.

The purpose of the Scheme is to support borrowers with non-performing loans through significant reduction of their debts and to protect borrowers’ primary residence.

Borrowers, at the end of each year, will receive a Governmental grant equal to one third (1/3) of their loan instalments (interest and capital), provided that they repay to the Bank the remaining two thirds (2/3) of their monthly instalments (interest and capital) of their restructured loan secured by the primary residence.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The UK Government supports the UN-led process and advocates a solution in line with UN parameters based on the model of a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, a Foreign Office minister said on Wednesday.

Europe Minister Graham Stuart, who has since moved to a different ministerial post under Prime Minister Liz Truss, was responding to parliamentary written question on the subject of the Cyprus issue.

Labour MP Zara’s Sultana had asked whether the Foreign Office had taken recent steps to help bring about a negotiated reunification of Cyprus on the basis of the bizonal, bicommunal federation set out in relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

Stuart said that he met the Cypriot Foreign Minister in July “and set out our determination to find a just and lasting settlement for the island of Cyprus”.

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.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Vaccination Advisory Committee of Cyprus’ Ministry of Health recommends all people over 30 years of age, but also people regardless of age who belong to special population groups to get boosted with a 4th dose of updated vaccines against COVID-19. The Committee also recommends vaccination with a 3rd booster dose for those aged 12 and over.

According to a press release, the National Vaccination Advisory Committee that met on Thursday, evaluated the new recommendations of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), ECDC, the World Health Organization (WHO) and pharmaceutical companies regarding the updated, adapted vaccines against COVID- 19.

The Committee, points out that protection against infection and especially against mild disease wanes approximately six months after the initial vaccination. At the same time, according to the statistics of the Ministry of Health, most admissions of patients with the COVID-19 occur in unvaccinated people. Therefore, the original vaccines for COVID-19 still provide protection against severe disease, hospitalisation and death and will be used for primary vaccinations.

The Committee of the Ministry of Health recommends the use of the updated, adapted vaccines against COVID-19, for a booster/3rd dose for persons aged 12 years and older, provided that five months have passed since they received the 2nd dose.

It also recommends the 4th dose for people over 30 years old. In addition, it recommends vaccination with a 4th booster dose for people regardless of age who live or work in nursing homes and closed structures, as well as for special and vulnerable groups.

The recommendations of the National Vaccination Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Health will be ratified by the Cabinet at its next session.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades expressed his sincere condolences over passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

“At these difficult times our thoughts are with the Royal Family and the and the people of the United Kingdom,” Anastasiades said in post on Twitter following the news of the death of Britain’s longest-serving monarch.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus Foreign Minister, Ioannis Kasoulides, leaves on Thursday for Paris, where he will pay a working visit. On Friday he will meet with 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 about 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

The 2021 State Aid Scoreboard, published today by the European Commission and relating to State aid expenditure in 2020, shows the crucial role of State Aid policy in preserving a fair Single Market while at the same time allowing Member States to support companies in times of acute and unforeseen crisis.

In 2020, Member States granted €384.33 billion under State aid measures for all objectives, of which €227.97 billion helped businesses seriously affected by the coronavirus pandemic to remain viable.

Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: “The State Aid Scoreboard for expenditure in 2020 published today points to unprecedented levels of public support to ensure businesses hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic could stay afloat. It also shows that the temporary measures adopted were proportionate and necessary, matching the economic damage suffered during the crisis. In addition, very importantly, it shows that State aid expenditure for non-crisis objectives has remained within the pre-pandemic existing ranges. It confirms the crucial role of State aid policy as the cornerstone of a fair Single Market”.

The annual State Aid Scoreboard provides a comprehensive overview of EU State aid expenditure based on the reports provided by the Member States.

The 2021 State Aid Scoreboard comprises aid expenditure made by the 27 EU Member States and the UK in 2020. In particular, it shows that:

In 2020, Member States and the UK spent €384.33 billion, about 2.43% of their combined 2020 GDP, on State aid for all objectives, excluding aid to railways and Services of General Economic Interest (‘SGEI’). While the total expenditure for COVID-19 measures reached €227.97 billion (about 59% of the total State aid spending), public support for other measures not related to the coronavirus pandemic hit €156.36 billion (about 41% of the total spending).

For what concerns State aid expenditure in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, Poland and Greece are the Member States with the largest share of COVID-19 State aid expenditure relative to 2020 national GDP (3.8% and 3.6% respectively), followed by Malta (3%), Slovenia (2.5%), Hungary (2.1%) and Germany (1.9%). Ireland (0.2%) and Sweden (0.2%) are the Member States that spent least in relative terms, followed by Finland (0.3%), Belgium (0.4%) and the Netherlands (0.58%).

For what concerns State aid expenditure for non-coronavirus crisis objectives:

In 2020, State aid expenditure for non-crisis objectives has remained within the ranges existing pre-pandemic. In particular, it increased by €9.12 billion compared to 2019. Although this increase is lower than the one observed in 2019 with respect to 2018 (€13.44 billion), it is in line with the average annual increase recorded in the period 2015 – 2019 (€9.80 billion per year).

In line with previous years, also in 2020 environmental protection and energy savings are the non-crisis-related policy objectives on which Member States significantly spent the most (€77 billion), followed by regional development (€18.30 billion) and research and development, including innovation (€16.40 billion).

Compared to 2019, total spending on non-crisis-related projects co-financed by EU funds and Member States funds increased from about €14.85 billion in 2019 to about €17.83 billion in 2020, thus registering a €2.98 billion increase (+20%), which is much larger than the annual increase observed in the two years before (+3% in 2019 and +9% in 2018). This comes on top of the unprecedented amounts spent for co-financed COVID-19 measures (€12.95 billion), which brings the total co-financed State aid spending to the record level of €30.78 billion in 2020.

In the same trend as previous years, Member States are increasingly using the General Block Exemption Regulation (‘GBER’), which provides scope for certain measures with limited impact on the internal market to be implemented without prior approval by the Commission, as well as other sectoral block exemptions (i.e. Agricultural Block Exemption Regulation (‘ABER’) and Fishery Block Exemption Regulation (‘FIBER’)). In 2020, 79% of new State aid measures were implemented under the Block Exemption Regulations. While the absolute number of new block-exempted measures has increased in 2020 (2091 measures in 2020, 1815 measures in 2019), it represents a lower share of total new measures compared to previous years (new block-exempted measures represented +98.8% of total new measures in 2019). This is linked to the large increase in notified COVID-19 measures in 2020. Expenditure under GBER measures increased in 2020 with respect to the previous year (+9%, €59.5 billion), although at a slower pace than in the two preceding years (+13% in 2018 and +12% in 2019).

Background

The COVID State aid Temporary Framework was adopted on 19 March 2020 to enable Member States to use the full flexibility foreseen under State aid rules to support the economy in the context of the coronavirus outbreak. The COVID Temporary Framework has been amended on 3 April, 8 May, 29 June, 13 October 2020, 28 January and 18 November 2021. As announced in May 2022, the COVID Temporary Framework has not been extended beyond the set expiry date of 30 June 2022, with some exceptions.

The COVID Temporary Framework complemented the ample possibilities available to Member States, such as measures providing compensation to companies for damages directly suffered due to exceptional circumstances or measures helping companies cope with liquidity shortages and needing urgent rescue aid.

Furthermore, on 23 March 2022, the Commission adopted a State aid Temporary Crisis Framework to enable Member States to use the flexibility foreseen under State aid rules to support the economy in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Temporary Crisis Framework has been amended on 20 July 2022 to complement the Winter Preparedness Package and in line with the REPoweEU Plan.

Finally, since May 2012, the Commission has implemented an ambitious State aid reform programme (‘State Aid Modernisation’) with three closely linked objectives: (i) foster growth in a strengthened, dynamic and competitive internal market; (ii) focus enforcement on cases with the biggest impact on the internal market; and (iii) streamlined rules and faster decisions.

The State Aid Modernisation exercise has allowed Member States to quickly implement State aid that fosters investment, economic growth and job creation, leaving the Commission to focus its State aid control on cases most liable to distort competition.

On 7 January 2019 the Commission launched, in line with the Commission’s Better Regulation Guidelines, the evaluation of the rules, which were adopted as part of the State aid Modernisation exercise, including the Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy and the Communication on important projects of common European interest (IPCEI) among others. The evaluation took the form of a “fitness check”. The aim was to provide a basis for decisions about whether to further prolong or possibly update the existing rules.

The results of the evaluation exercise are summarised in a Commission Staff Working Document. The milestones of the Fitness Check are listed on the Better Regulation Portal. All relevant State aid rules, including the already amended ones, can be found here.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Today, the Commission published the third Environmental Implementation Review (EIR), a key reporting tool that supports environmental enforcement and raises awareness about the importance of implementing environmental rules. Bridging the gap between what is decided at Union level and what is implemented on the ground is essential to ensure good environmental outcomes for citizens, and to maintain a level playing field for businesses while creating opportunities for economic development.

Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevicius, said: “This year’s Environmental Implementation Review is a call to action. While it shows progress in some areas since the previous review, I am concerned that in other areas, the implementation gap is still getting wider, which makes us all more vulnerable to environmental pollution and related risks. This analysis provides Member States with the tools and information they need to improve implementation and better protect our health and the environment. Let’s make good use of it!”

This Environmental Implementation Review (EIR) draws conclusions and defines common trends at EU level, based on 27 individual country reports showing the state of play in the implementation of EU environmental law. It includes a wealth of information about how well EU governments are protecting the quality of the air citizens breathe, the water they drink and the nature they enjoy. Furthermore, the review sets out priority actions for improvement in each Member State.

State of play in main environmental policy areas

Biodiversity in the EU continues to decline. Some of the habitats rated as in the poorest condition across the EU are semi-natural grasslands, bogs, mires and ferns. Forests are under huge pressure and most Member States still need to speed up efforts to complete their Natura 2000 networks.

Water: progress towards achieving good status for water bodies is slow, and some Member States are late with the adoption of key instruments to address this, notably the River Basin Management Plans. Likewise, Member States are required to adopt their flood risk management plan in a timely fashion in order to better manage the flood risks in their country. In addition, implementing rules for drinking water are still a cause of concern in a few countries. Moreover, implementation of EU rules on nitrate and urban wastewater treatment has been sluggish due to inadequate planning and infrastructure, despite availability of EU funds.

Circular economy: while most Member States have national circular economy strategies and action plans in place, there are considerable differences between Member States’ resource productivity rates and circular material use rates. Productivity rates measure how efficiently an economy uses resources to in the production, while circular material use rates measure the share of material recovered and fed back into the economy. More action is needed to improve the recyclability potential of plastics, construction materials and textiles. Waste prevention remains an important challenge in all Member States, and in some countries substandard landfills still need to be tackled.

Air pollution is still a major health concern for Europeans. Member States need to fulfil air quality monitoring requirements in a systematic and consistent manner in order to better enforce clean air at national and EU level. Achieving compliance requires strict measures, notably switching to sustainable mobility powered by renewables, introducing low-emission agricultural techniques, including for livestock, manure and fertiliser management.

Climate: overall, there is a good level of implementation of climate legislation throughout the EU; it is now important to agree and implement the package of measures to meet the -55% target established in the Climate Law for 2030. However, adaptation efforts in each Member State and at EU level need to be intensified to cope with the harsh reality of increasing climate impacts. Appropriate action to prevent and/or minimise the climate-induced damage brings significant economic, environmental and social benefits.

Implementation enablers

Many Member States need to ensure more financing is available to cover the investment needs across the environmental objectives and priorities. For the first time, this EIR compares for each Member State the available funding for environmental implementation with the investment needs. The investment needs in the EU to meet the environmental objectives stand at €110 billion per year. Almost two thirds of the environmental investment gap relates to tackling general pollution and protecting and managing water bodies.

Adapting and reinforcing Member States’ administrative capacity is critical to delivering EU legal compliance and implementation, and ensuring effective access to justice at national levels is essential for the implementation of environmental law. These are pillars of environmental governance. There is still room for most Member States to improve the public’s access to courts in order to challenge decisions, acts or omissions, particularly in the areas of planning relating to water, nature and/or air quality. Most Member States also need to keep the public better informed about their access to justice rights.

Background

The first Environmental Implementation Review was adopted in February 2017. The EIR works alongside the Commission’s Better Regulation policy which focuses on improving implementation of existing legislation and policies. Since its adoption, many Member States have organised national EIR dialogues on the priority themes identified in their reports. In many cases, regional and local authorities and key stakeholders have been involved.

The Commission works with Member States to enable them to better apply environmental policies and rules, through the process of the EIR. When the agreed rules are not properly implemented, the Commission can take legal action.

Information on environmental infringements is available on an interactive map and dashboard.

Source: Cyprus News Agency