Nicosia: Cyprus did not take advantage of available European means to deal with fires in the Limassol district, DISY MEP Michael Hadjipantela stated on Monday. According to the information he received, there should be two aircraft from the EU present in Cyprus.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Hadjipantela made these remarks during a press conference at the House of the European Union in Nicosia, where he reviewed the first year of his term in the European Parliament (EP). The DISY and EPP MEP highlighted his involvement in four EP committees and as a substitute in six others. He also mentioned his role as a rapporteur or shadow rapporteur on 21 files that address issues related to citizens’ daily lives, geopolitical stability, and the strengthening of European values. Furthermore, he noted that he made 19 interventions in the EP Plenary and submitted 28 written questions.
Responding to a question about the EU’s assistance with firefighting efforts in Cyprus, Hadjipantela said that, based on the information he received, there should be two EU aircraft in Cyprus. He added that the Republic of Cyprus has not taken advantage of other available resources, such as forest firefighters from the EU, experts from the European Commission on fire issues, and an EU center that provides satellite data to manage fires. He expressed his intention to request further information from the EU on the potential use of these resources by Cyprus, implying that they have not been utilized.
Addressing the planned accession of Cyprus to the Schengen zone, Hadjipantela mentioned that he had raised a question with the European Commission, which replied that Cyprus’s accession process is progressing, but some actions are still required on Cyprus’s part. He admitted, “At this moment I do not know if Cyprus has taken these actions.”
On the topic of green taxation, Hadjipantela emphasized that Cyprus should have informed the European Commission about its specificities when the issue was being discussed. He conveyed that he sent a written question to the European Commission, which responded that the implementation of green taxation cannot be postponed. However, the government can offset it by reducing electricity prices.
He also asserted that Cypriot MEPs are available to assist the government in emphasizing the Cyprus issue within the EU.
In response to inquiries about the proposals he submitted regarding the EU budget, he clarified that those approved by the EP Plenary have already been implemented.