An event to mark the 20th Anniversary of Green Line Regulation took place on Monday at Ledra Palace, in the buffer zone which included speeches by the Head of the EC representation in Cyprus and representatives of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Turkish Cypriot chamber of commerce.
Panel discussions followed with distinguished speakers from the EC, the trade and industry sector and activists from both communities who shared their experiences, highlighted the benefits of the regulation and spoke about the challenges of the future.
Regulation is the unwavering EU commitment to the people of Cyprus, says Zambarta
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Myrto Zambarta, Head of European Commision Representation in Cyprus said that in the past two decades, the Green Line Regulation has shown that it is more than just a piece of legislation but it constitutes the unwavering commitment of the EU to the people of Cyprus and their peaceful coexistence and reconciliation.
‘As with any legislation, it has come with
its challenges, and its implementation is a daily act of commitment to reconciliation. Gradually, it has helped foster a degree of trust, both in the people-to-people interaction and trading between the two communities, introducing a common language that focuses on rules, quality and standards’, she noted.
Zambarta said that twenty years in, we have common product quality and health standards that enable free trade of certain goods across the Green Line without undermining EU-wide standards relating to the protection of human, animal and plant health. It is a start. She added that there is still a long way to go in fully implementing the Green Line Regulation, pointing out that the Regulation alone cannot be the catalyst for resolving the Cyprus issue.
“In parallel, the EU is supporting various projects to enhance prosperity across all communities on the island, both with Cohesion Funds as well as dedicated support to the Turkish Cypriot community. And we, as the European Commission remain committed in supp
orting Cyprus in its journey towards peace and unity for the benefit of all its people,” she noted.
Regulation helped us in difficult times, says Mavrommatis
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Manthos Mavrommatis, former Head of the CCCI said that the regulation allowed the two communities to develop their commercial relations and through this the interaction and the common benefit from the economic activity became apparent.
He added that the regulation went through various difficulties but we should not forget that it helped both communities at times when there were huge problems.
Mavrommatis recalled that in 2011, with the destruction of the power plant in Mari, the Greek Cypriot community was able to buy electricity from the Turkish Cypriot community, on a temporary basis and prevent the collapse of our economy. He also said that in 2013, when an oil spill occurred in the Gulf in Turkish occupied Trikomo, the Turkish Cypriots were able to buy cleaning material from the Greek Cypriots in order to deal with the catastro
phe.
Both actions, he said, were possible through the Green Line regulation.
He stated that CCCI’s priority is to increase the Greek Cypriot sales to the Turkish Cypriot community to prove in practice that the regulation works for the economic benefit of both communities. He also said that they are in consultation with the government to find a way to deal with the problem of VAT being levied on our sales and the amount that cannot be recovered.
Mavrommatis expressed the hope that soon the regulation will not be necessary and that the Cyprus issue will be resolved which will lead to the normalization of trade between the two communities and will increase economic activity between them.
We are making efforts to enable the trade of Hellim say the Turkish Cypriots
On behalf of the Turkish chamber of commerce Turgay Deniz said that since 2004, ‘we have witnessed over 140 million Euros in trade from the North to the South, while trade initially started modestly and averaged around 5 million Euros annually, we
have seen significant growth in recent years, with figures reaching 14 million Euros in 2022 and an encouraging 15.5 million Euros in 2023’.
He added that the Commission and Turkish Cypriot stakeholders, are making significant efforts to enable the trade of Hellim/Halloumi PDO, to the EU market. According to Deniz, they advocate for an expansion of the rules to include all goods that meet EU standards, ensuring broader market access.
‘We should also expand our horizons beyond goods and enhance the trade of services, which is already provided for in the Green Line trade. This will diversify our economic interactions and enhance our offerings,” he said.
Moreover, Deniz added, “the Chamber strongly supports the opening of new crossing points, recognizing them as crucial avenues to enhance trade and foster deeper economic integration across the communities.’
He described the Green Line trade as a commercial venture, adding that it is clear that it also serves as a bridge of reconciliation across the island, a
iming to contribute not only to our economic development but also to build the foundations for lasting reconciliation.
A streetball tournament took place in the framework of the event with teams from both communities.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.
It joined the EU in May 2004. The whole of Cyprus is part of the EU, however, in the northern occupied part of the island, where the Government of the Republic of Cyprus does not exercise effective control, EU legislation is suspended. The ceasefire line (referred to as the ‘Green Line’) is separating the two parts of the island.
The Green Line Regulation was adopted in April 2004. It sets out special rules for goods, services, and persons crossing the Green Line from the Turkish Cypriot community, which is outside the effective control of the government of the Republic of Cyprus and where the EU acquis is suspended, to the areas which are under the effective control of the government and where the acquis
applies.
Source: Cyprus News Agency