nicosia: The European Commission has initiated a series of infringement procedures against Cyprus due to the country's delays in implementing various EU directives into national law. The cases involve several critical sectors, including labour migration, environmental protection, transport of dangerous goods, capital markets, financial services, hazardous substances in electronic equipment, agriculture, equality bodies, and internal market emergency measures.
According to Cyprus News Agency, these procedures are currently in the initial stage, with the Commission having sent formal notices to Cyprus. The Cypriot authorities have been invited to report their compliance measures within a two-month timeframe. Should Cyprus fail to provide a satisfactory response, the Commission may escalate the situation by issuing a reasoned opinion and potentially referring the matter to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
One of the key issues is Cyprus's failure to fully transpose the revised Single Permit Directive (EU 2024/1233), which is designed to streamline the process for legal labour migration from third countries. This directive aims to expedite the granting of single residence and work permits while enhancing workers' rights.
Additionally, Cyprus has not fully implemented the Environmental Crime Directive (EU 2024/1203), which strengthens legal frameworks against serious environmental offenses. This shortfall places Cyprus among 23 member states that have not completed the necessary legislative updates.
Furthermore, Cyprus has received notices for not fully transposing new EU rules on roadside inspections of vehicles carrying dangerous goods, as well as for non-compliance with the Listing Act Directive (EU 2024/2811) and the EMIR Targeted Review Directive (EU 2024/2994). These directives aim to improve safety, market attractiveness, and financial risk management.
The Commission is also concerned about Cyprus's failure to implement amendments to the RoHS Directive related to hazardous substances in electronic equipment and directives concerning agricultural plant species examination procedures and equality bodies.
Finally, Cyprus is among the countries that have not fully transposed Directive (EU) 2024/2749, which relates to emergency procedures for product conformity assessments during crises. All these cases are in the letter of formal notice stage, and Cyprus is required to demonstrate compliance within two months.
Overall, nine of the 15 new infringement cases launched by the Commission on Wednesday concern Cyprus. The Commission expects Nicosia to provide comprehensive information on its national implementing measures within the set deadline to avoid further escalation of these proceedings.