COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT The EU Environmental Implementation Review Country Report - CYPRUS Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions The EU Environmental Implementation Review: Common Challenges and how to combine efforts to deliver better results
Date: 2017-02-03
Institutions: Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission
Subjects: Cyprus, EU environmental policy, EU initiative, application of EU law, environmental law, environmental protection, pollution control measures

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 3.2.2017  SWD(2017) 36 final   COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT The EU Environmental Implementation Review  Country Report - CYPRUS   Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions The EU Environmental Implementation Review: Common Challenges and how to combine efforts to deliver better results   {COM(2017) 63 final} {SWD(2017) 33 - 35 final} {SWD(2017) 37 - 60 final}  
 
 
Cyprus  2 

This  report  has  been  written  by  the  staff  of  the  Directorate-General  for  Environment,  European 
Commission. Any comments are welcome to the following e-mail address: ENV-EIR@ec.europa.eu  

More information on the European Union is available on the internet (http://europa.eu). 

Photographs: p.9 – ©LIFE99 TCY/CY/041; p.12 – ©letty17/iStock; p.14 – © letty17/iStock 
p.19 – ©Kirill Makarov/iStock; p.23 – ©efesenko/iStock 

For reproduction or use of these photos, permission must be sought directly from the copyright 
holder. 

©European Union, 2017 

Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cyprus  3 

Table of Content 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................... 4 

PART I: THEMATIC AREAS ............................................................................................................................... 6 

1. 

TURNING  THE  EU  INTO  A  CIRCULAR,  RESOURCE-EFFICIENT,  GREEN  AND  COMPETITIVE  LOW-
CARBON ECONOMY............................................................................................................................... 6 

Developing a circular economy and improving resource efficiency ..................................................... 6 
Waste management .............................................................................................................................. 7 

2. 

PROTECTING, CONSERVING AND ENHANCING NATURAL CAPITAL ..................................................... 10 

Nature and Biodiversity....................................................................................................................... 10 
Green Infrastructure ........................................................................................................................... 12 
Soil protection ..................................................................................................................................... 13 
Marine protection ............................................................................................................................... 13 

3. 

ENSURING CITIZENS' HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE .......................................................................... 15 

Air quality ............................................................................................................................................ 15 
 ................................................................................................................................................. 16 
Noise 
Water quality and management ......................................................................................................... 16 
Enhancing the sustainability of cities .................................................................................................. 18 
International agreements ................................................................................................................... 19 

PART II: ENABLING FRAMEWORK: IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS ..................................................................... 20 

4.  MARKET BASED INSTRUMENTS AND INVESTMENT ............................................................................ 20 

Green taxation and environmentally harmful subsidies ..................................................................... 20 
Green Public Procurement .................................................................................................................. 20 
Investments: the contribution of EU funds ......................................................................................... 21 

5. 

EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE AND KNOWLEDGE ...................................................................................... 23 

Effective governance within central, regional and local government................................................. 23 
Compliance assurance ......................................................................................................................... 24 
Public participation and access to justice ........................................................................................... 25 
Access to information, knowledge and evidence ................................................................................ 26 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
 
 
Executive summary 

Cyprus  4 

About the Environmental Implementation Review 

launched 

reports  describing 

the 
the  Commission 
In  May  2016, 
Environmental  Implementation  Review  (EIR),  a  two-year 
cycle  of  analysis,  dialogue  and  collaboration  to  improve 
the  implementation  of  existing  EU  environmental  policy 
and  legislation1.  As  a  first  step,  the  Commission  drafted 
28 
the  main  challenges  and 
opportunities on environmental implementation for each 
Member  State.  These  reports  are  meant  to  stimulate  a 
positive debate both on shared environmental challenges 
for  the  EU,  as  well  as  on  the  most  effective  ways  to 
address the key implementation gaps. The reports rely on 
the detailed sectoral implementation reports collected or 
issued  by  the  Commission  under  specific  environmental 
legislation  as  well  as  the  2015  State  of  the  Environment 
Report  and  other  reports  by  the  European  Environment 
Agency.  These  reports  will  not  replace  the  specific 
instruments  to  ensure  compliance  with  the  EU  legal 
obligations.  

The  reports  will  broadly  follow  the  outline  of  the  7th 
Environmental Action Programme2 and refer to the 2030 
related 
for  Sustainable  development  and 
Agenda 
Sustainable  Development  Goals  (SDGs)3  to  the  extent  to 
which  they  reflect  the  existing  obligations  and  policy 
objectives of EU environmental law4.  

The  main  challenges  have  been  selected  by  taking  into 
account factors such as the importance or the gravity of 
the  environmental  implementation  issue  in  the  light  of 
the  impact  on  the  quality  of  life  of  the  citizens,  the 
distance to target, and financial implications. 

The  reports  accompany  the  Communication  "The  EU 
Environmental  Implementation  Review  2016:  Common 
challenges  and  how  to  combine  efforts  to  deliver  better 
results", which identifies challenges that are common to 
several Member States, provides preliminary conclusions 
on  possible  root  causes  of  implementation  gaps  and 
proposes  joint  actions  to  deliver  better  results.  It  also 
groups in its Annex the actions proposed in each country 
report to improve implementation at national level. 

General profile 

Environmental  implementation  represents  a  challenge 
for  Cyprus.  Poor  waste  management  performance,  with 
high  waste  generation,  low  recycling  rates  and  strong 

1 Communication "Delivering the benefits of EU environmental policies 
Implementation  Review" 

regular  Environmental 

through  a 
(COM/2016/ 316 final). 

2 Decision No. 1386/2013/EU of 20 November 2013 on a General Union 
Environmental  Action  Programme  to  2020  "Living  well,  within  the 
limits of our planet". 

3 United Nations, 2015. The Sustainable Development Goals  
4 This EIR report does not cover climate change, chemicals and energy. 

dependence on landfilling, including in illegal facilities, is 
one of the main concerns. Improving water management 
and putting in place a water pricing policy in accordance 
with  the  Water  Framework  Directive  covering  a  broad 
range of water services is of great significance for Cyprus, 
with over-abstraction of groundwater and water scarcity 
being major challenges. Its rich natural environment and 
biodiversity  is  one  of  the  country's  strongest  assets. 
However, in many cases of infrastructure development in 
protected  areas  it  can  be  observed  that  the  necessary 
assessments  as  foreseen  by  European  and  national 
legislation  are  not  carried  out  appropriately.  This 
weakens  legal  certainty,  slows  down  projects  and  can 
lead  to  significant  environmental  damage,  such  as 
fragmentation  or  degradation  of  these  areas  and 
significant  endangerment  of  protected  species.  Finally, 
one  of  the  most  persistent  problems  is  that  of  the 
widespread  practice  of  illegal  trapping  of  wild  birds, 
especially migratory.  

Main Challenges 

The three main challenges with regard to implementation 
of EU environmental policy and law in Cyprus are: 

  Better  protecting  Natura  2000  areas 
from 
incompatible  activities  or  developments 
that 
fragment  or  degrade  them,  by  ensuring  that  all 
necessary  assessments  are  carried  out  properly 
before  the  approval  of  a  project,  and  that  the 
necessary  mitigation  measures 
formally 
approved  and  properly  applied.  Enhancing  policies 
and  enforcement  actions  to  eliminate  illegal  bird 
trapping. 

are 

infrastructure 

the  necessary 

  Eliminating  illegal  landfilling of  waste  and putting  in 
for  waste 
place 
management,  while  paying  particular  attention  to 
avoiding  creating  over-capacity  of  installations  for 
the treatment of residual waste. 
Improving water management in order to effectively 
tackle  problems  such  as  water  scarcity  and  over-
abstraction. 

 

Main Opportunities 

Cyprus  could  perform  better  on  topics  where  there  is 
already a good knowledge base and good practices. This 
applies in particular to: 

  Move away  from landfilling by  focusing policies  and 
investments  on  the  implementation  of  the  separate 
collection  obligation  to 
increase  recycling  rates, 
particularly  by  making  more  efficient  use  of 
economic instruments.  

  Safeguard  the  country's  natural  capital,  especially 
under the Natura 2000 network, and promote green 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
 
                                                            
Cyprus  5 

investments 

tourism, which can bring about significant economic 
benefits. 
  Enhance 

in  eco-innovation,  aligning 
promoted  activities  to  the  country's  environmental 
needs  (e.g.  water  scarcity,  improving  recycling)  and 
to its natural capital (e.g. potential for development 
of renewable energy). 

Points of Excellence 

Where  Cyprus 
leader  on  environmental 
implementation,  innovative  approaches  could  be  shared 
more widely with other countries. Good examples are: 

is 

a 

  According  to  the  EEA  Report  'European  Bathing 
Water quality in 2015', out of 113 bathing waters in 
Cyprus 99.1% were of excellent quality. 

  The Natura 2000 network in Cyprus covers 28.8% of 
is  one  of  the  highest 
the 
percentages in the EU (EU average 18.1%), with Birds 
Directive SPAs covering 26.7% (EU average 12.3%). 

land  area,  which 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Part I: Thematic Areas 

1. Turning the EU into a circular, resource-efficient, green and 

competitive low-carbon economy 

Cyprus  6 

Developing a circular economy and improving 
resource efficiency 

The 2015 Circular Economy Package emphasizes the need 
to  move  towards  a  lifecycle-driven  ‘circular’  economy, 
with a cascading use of resources and residual waste that 
is  close  to  zero.  This  can  be  facilitated  by  the 
development  of,  and  access  to,  innovative  financial 
instruments and funding for eco-innovation. 

SDG  8  invites  countries  to  promote  sustained,  inclusive 
and  sustainable  economic  growth,  full  and  productive 
employment  and  decent  work  for  all.  SDG  9  highlights 
infrastructure,  promote 
the  need  to  build  resilient 
inclusive  and  sustainable  industrialization  and  foster 
innovation.  SDG 12  encourages countries  to  achieve  the 
sustainable  management  and  efficient  use  of  natural 
resources by 2030. 

Measures towards a circular economy 

Transforming our economies from linear to circular offers 
an  opportunity  to  reinvent  them  and  make  them  more 
stimulate 
sustainable  and  competitive.  This  will 
investments and bring both short and long-term benefits 
for the economy, environment and citizens alike5. 

Cyprus  is  performing  below  EU  average  in  terms  of 
resource productivity6 (how efficiently the economy uses 
material resources to produce wealth), with 1.85 EUR /kg 
(EU  average  is  2  EUR/kg)  in  2015.  Figure  1,  however, 
shows  a  significant  increase  of  resource  productivity 
since 2011, having almost reached EU average in 2015. 

There is no overarching policy framework for the Circular 
Economy  in  Cyprus.  Policy  and  funding  measures  and 
mechanisms  promoting  circular  economy  still  largely 
depend on co-financing through the European Structural 
and Investment Funds (ESIF).  

The  ESIF  for  the  period  2014-2020  are  funding  research 
activities,  including  the  Energy,  Environment  and  Water 
Research  Centre  (EEWRC),  which  carries  out  research  in 
the  areas  of  Solar  Energy  and  Desalination,  Climate 
Change  and 
Impact,  Environmental  Research  and 
Monitoring,  Water  Research  and  Management  and 
Sustainability and Built Environment.  

Figure 1: Resource productivity 2003-157 

SMEs and resource efficiency 

There  is  significant  room  for  improvement;  especially  in 
crucial  areas  such  as  entrepreneurship  and  ‘responsive 
administration’. Steps to this direction have already been 
taken  under  the  National  Policy  Statement  on  the 
the  Entrepreneurial  Ecosystem, 
Enhancement  of 
approved by the  Council  of Ministers  in  December 2015 
and  currently  under  implementation.  Further  measures 
promoting  waste  management  and  renewable  energy 
use  for  SMEs  are  urgently  needed.  The  Flash  426 
Eurobarometer  "SMEs,  resource  efficiency  and  green 
markets" defines "green job" as a job that directly deals 
with 
that 
preserves  or  restores  environmental  quality.  It  shows 
that  35%  of  the  SMEs  in  Cyprus  have  one  or  more  full 
time  employee  working  in  a  green  job  at  least  some  of 
the time.  Cyprus has an average number of 1.4 full time 
green employees per SME.  

technologies,  or  materials 

information, 

Eco-Innovation 

Despite  significant  improvement,  Cyprus  continues  to 
perform poorly in eco-innovation. The country scored 60 
in  2015  compared  to  a  score  of  44 
in  the  2013 
assessment (EU average = 100) as shown in Figure 2. This 
places  the  country  third  from  the  bottom  in  the  EU28 
eco-innovation ranking. Cyprus promotes eco-innovation 
through measures promoting entrepreneurial innovation 
in  general.  The  measures  promoting  innovation  are 
common  due  to  their 
interrelation,  the  available 
synergies  and  above  all  due  to  Cyprus'  small  size,  which 
does not allow for the development and running of many 

5 European Commission, 2015. Proposed Circular Economy Package  
6 Resource productivity is defined as the ratio between gross domestic 

product (GDP) and domestic material consumption (DMC). 

7 Eurostat, Resource productivity, accessed October 2016 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
support 

schemes.  The  entrepreneurial 
specialized 
support  scheme  (developing  innovative  products  and 
services) has subsidized six eco innovation projects (two 
on inclusive growth, one on reuse of waste materials and 
three on reducing waste).  

Eco-innovation  in  Cyprus  is  dominated  by  individual 
actors – research institutes or enterprises. As such, there 
are  no  distinct  and  fully  developed  eco-innovation 
sectors.  

In  particular,  the  LIFE+ 

A number of EU funded research and innovation projects 
in  the  field  of  eco-innovation  are  currently  under 
instrument 
implementation. 
supported a total of 11 projects, which cover issues such 
as  waste  management, 
industrial  waste,  water 
management  at  the  scale  of  the  river  basin,  air  quality, 
climate change and industry-production.  
Figure 2: Eco-Innovation Index 2015 (EU=100)8 

Cyprus  7 

for producing exotic flowers; organic and energy efficient 
production of wine and olive oil etc. 

The  present  economic  climate  does  not  encourage 
investments  in  eco-innovation.  Public  spending  for  R&D 
has  been  put  on  hold,  while  traditionally  business 
spending for R&D in Cyprus is anyway low. However, the 
financial  situation  is  expected  to  improve  following  the 
exit of the country from the austerity plan in March 2016.  

Cyprus  has  76  EMAS  registered  organisations,  which 
represents  1.8%  of  all  registered  organisations.  Cyprus 
has  increased  its  number  of  registrations,  particularly 
during the period between 2009 and 2012 by more than 
tripling  its  numbers,  while  in  2015  the  Department  of 
Environment  was  also  included  in  the  EMAS  register 
following 
its  environmental 
management system.  

verification  of 

the 

Suggested action 

 Enhance 

investments 

in  eco-innovation,  aligning 
promoted  activities  to  the  country's  environmental 
needs  (e.g.  water  scarcity,  improving  recycling)  and  to 
its  natural  capital  (e.g.  potential  for  development  of 
renewable energy). 

Waste management  

Turning waste into a resource requires: 
 

implementation  of  Union  waste 

legislation, 
Full 
which  includes  the  waste  hierarchy;  the  need  to 
ensure  separate  collection  of  waste;  the  landfill 
diversion targets etc. 

  Reducing  per  capita  waste  generation  and  waste 

 

generation in absolute terms. 
Limiting energy recovery to non-recyclable materials 
and  phasing  out 
recyclable  or 
recoverable waste. 

landfilling  of 

SDG  12  invites  countries  to  substantially  reduce  waste 
generation  through  prevention,  reduction,  recycling  and 
reuse,  by  2030.SDG  12  invites  countries  to  substantially 
reduce  waste generation  through  prevention,  reduction, 
recycling and reuse, by 2030. 

The EU's approach to waste management is based on the 
"waste  hierarchy"  which  sets  out  an  order  of  priority 
when  shaping  waste  policy  and  managing  waste  at  the 
operational 
level:  prevention,  (preparing  for)  reuse, 
recycling,  recovery  and,  as  the  least  preferred  option, 
disposal  (which 
incineration 
without energy recovery). The progress towards reaching 
recycling 
the  adoption  of  adequate 
WMP/WPP9  should  be  the  key  items  to  measure  the 
performance  of  Member  States.  This  section  focuses  on 
management of municipal waste10, for which EU law sets 

landfilling  and 

targets  and 

includes 

the 

country’s 

rich  natural 

capital,  new 
Given 
developments in renewable energies could promote eco-
innovation activities. The agricultural and food industries 
can  also  contribute  to  eco-innovative  solutions:  waste 
treatment  in  olive  oil  production;  compost  produced 
from recycled plants (such as lawn, garden clippings, tree 
leaves, vine leaves etc.); biological waste treatment (that 
turns  biodegradable  waste 
into  either  high  quality 
compost or Solid Recovered Fuel); advanced glasshouses 

8 Eco-innovation Observatory: Eco-Innovation scoreboard 2015 

9 Waste Management Plans/Waste Prevention Programmes 
10  Municipal  waste  consists  of  waste  collected  by  or  on  behalf  of 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
 
                                                            
                                                            
mandatory recycling targets. 

Figure 4: Recycling rate of municipal waste 2007-1413 

Cyprus  8 

In  Cyprus,  although  municipal  waste  generation  has 
decreased  over  the  years,  it  still  remains  significantly 
higher  than  the  EU  average 
(617  kg/y/inhabitant 
compared  to  around  475  kg  on  average  in  2014)  as 
shown in Figure 3. 

Figure 3 depicts the municipal waste treatment in Cyprus 
in  terms  of  kg  per  capita,  which  shows  a  decrease  in 
landfilling and an increase of recycling and composting.  

Figure 3: Municipal waste by treatment in Cyprus 2007-
1411 

There  is  scope  to  step  up  efforts  to  develop  separate 
collection at source, combined with the required facilities 
level  of  recycling/composting.  A 
to  ensure  a  high 
reduction of landfilling can be observed; however, this is 
happening  at  a  very  slow  pace.  Two  illegal  landfills 
remain  operational  in  the  territory.  The  2010  target  for 
the  diversion  of  biodegradable  municipal  waste  from 
landfills was not met and the minimum quantity allowed 
to be disposed was exceeded by 64%. In light of the on-
going  review  of  the  landfill  restrictions  for  municipal 
waste,  additional  significant  efforts  will  have  to  be 
undertaken  in  order  to  limit  landfilling  only  to  residual 
waste by 2030 (max. 10%)14. 

responsibility 

There  are  no  landfill  taxes  in  place  in  Cyprus.  Limited 
producer 
(few  waste  streams 
(EPR) 
covered) or equivalent systems are in place and those are 
not able to cover the full costs of separate collection and 
recycling  of  the  main  waste  streams.  There  are  no 
incentive systems to favour prevention and participation 
in  separate  collection  and  very  limited  incentives  have 
been  provided  so  far  for  local  authorities  to  develop 
separate collection systems. The use of EU funds could be 
more focused on activities higher up the waste hierarchy 
and  avoid  creating  installations  with  more  capacity  than 
necessary for the treatment of residual waste. As soon as 
separate  collections  are 
in  place,  Pay-As-You-Throw 
(PAYT) schemes could be encouraged and generalised at 
local  level.  One  PAYT  pilot  currently  runs  in  one  of  the 
municipalities and has so far had encouraging results. 

Cyprus  has  been  taking  steps  in  the  right  direction  in 
2015,  by  improving  separate  collection  and  recycling 
rates.  However,  managing  waste  efficiently  and  fulfilling 
the obligations from the EU Directives on waste remains 
a  challenge.  The  updated  national  Waste  Management 

13 Eurostat, Recycling rate of municipal waste, accessed October 2016 
14 European Commission, (COM(2015)595, 594) 

Cyprus landfills the majority of its municipal waste (80%, 
compared to the EU-average of 28%). Recycling accounts 
for  19%, 
is 
significantly below the EU average (44%).  

including  4%  of  composting,  which 

Figure  4  shows  that  Cyprus  must  strongly  invest  in 
recycling in the coming years in order to reach the 2020 
recycling target12. 

municipal  authorities,  or  directly  by  the  private  sector  (business  or 
private non-profit institutions) not on behalf of municipalities. 

11  Eurostat,  Municipal  waste  and  treatment,  by  type  of  treatment 

method, accessed October 2016 

12 Member States may choose a different method than the one used by 
ESTAT (and referred to in this report) to calculate their recycling rates 
and  track  compliance  with  the  2020  target  of  50%  recycling  of 
municipal waste. 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                                                 
 
                                                            
Cyprus  9 

the  first  steps  of  waste  hierarchy.  Avoid  building 
excessive  infrastructure  for  the  treatment  of  residual 
waste. 

  Focus  on  implementation  of  the  separate  collection 
obligation  to  increase  recycling  rates,  particularly  by 
making  more  efficient  use  of  economic  instruments 
(such as PAYT schemes). 

  Extend and improve the cost-effectiveness, monitoring 

and transparency of existing EPR schemes. 

Plan (for municipal waste only) and the Waste Prevention 
Programme were approved by the Council of Ministers in 
November 2015 - their absence had resulted in the self-
suspension of EU funds for the 2014-2020 programming 
period.  However,  other  waste  streams  are  still  not 
covered by a national Waste Management Plan and this 
is expected to happen by the end of 2016. 

In order to help bridge the implementation gap in Cyprus, 
for 
the  Commission  has  delivered  a 
compliance15. 

roadmap 

Preventing and reducing waste generation together with 
the  necessary  increase  in  reuse  and  recycling  could 
improve the resource efficiency of the Cypriot economy, 
increase  business  opportunities  and  provide  jobs  in  the 
recycling  sector.  Full  implementation  of  the  existing 
legislation  could  create  more  than  2.000  jobs  in  Cyprus 
and increase the annual turnover of the waste sector by 
over EUR 200 million. Moving towards the targets of the 
Roadmap on Resource Efficiency which outlines how we 
can  transform  Europe's  economy  into  a  sustainable  one 
by  2050,  could  create  over  2.400  additional  jobs  and 
increase the annual turnover of the waste sector by over 
EUR 250 million. 16 

Suggested action 

  Finalise the work on removing the two remaining illegal 

landfills.  

increase 

  Introduce  and  gradually 

landfill  taxes  to 
phase-out  landfilling  of  recyclable  and  recoverable 
waste.  Use  the  revenues  to  support  the  separate 
collection and alternative infrastructure in conjunction 
with a better allocation of the cohesion policy funds to 

15 Support to Implementation – The Commission helps 8 Member States 
to improve their municipal waste management. Country factsheet for 
Cyprus  

16Bio Intelligence service,  2011.  Implementing EU Waste legislation for 
Green Growth, study for European Commission. The breakdown per 
country on job creation was made by the consultant on Commission 
demand but was not included in the published document.   

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
 
                                                            
 
2. Protecting, conserving and enhancing natural capital 

Cyprus  10 

Nature and Biodiversity  

The  EU  Biodiversity  Strategy  aims  to  halt  the  loss  of 
biodiversity  in  the  EU  by  2020,  restore  ecosystems  and 
their services in so far as feasible, and step up efforts to 
avert  global  biodiversity  loss.  The  EU  Birds  and  Habitats 
Directives  aim  at  achieving  favourable  conservation 
status of protected species and habitats.  

SDG  14  requires  countries  to  conserve  and  sustainably 
use the oceans, seas and marine resources, while SDG 15 
requires  countries  to  protect,  restore  and  promote  the 
sustainable  use  of  terrestrial  ecosystems,  sustainably 
manage  forests,  combat  desertification,  and  halt  and 
reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. 

The  1992  EU  Habitats  Directive  and  the  1979  Birds 
Directive are the cornerstone of the European legislation 
aimed  at  the  conservation  of  the  EU's  wildlife.  Natura 
2000, the largest coordinated network of protected areas 
in  the  world,  is  the  key  instrument  to  achieve  and 
implement  the  Directives'  objectives  to  ensure  the  long-
term  protection,  conservation  and  survival  of  Europe's 
most  valuable  and  threatened  species  and  habitats  and 
the ecosystems they underpin. 

The  adequate  designation  of  protected  sites  as  Special 
Ares  of  Conservation  (SAC)  under  the  Habitats  Directive 
and  as  Special  Protection  Areas  (SPA)  under  the  Birds 
Directive 
is  a  key  milestone  towards  meeting  the 
objectives  of  the  Directives.  The  results  of  Habitats 
Directive Article 17 and Birds Directive Article 12 reports 
and  the  progress  towards  adequate  Sites  of  Community 
Importance (SCI)-SPA and SAC designation17 both in land 
and  at  sea,  should  be  the  key  items  to  measure  the 
performance of Member States. 

An  area  of  28.8%  of  the  national  land  of  Cyprus  (area 
under government control) is designated as Natura 2000 
(EU  average  18.1%),  where  designation  under  the  Birds 
Directive  SPAs  covers  26.7%  (EU  average  12.3%)  and 
designation  under  the  Habitats  Directive  SCIs  covers 
13.49% (EU average 13.8%). Cyprus has designated so far 
63  Natura  2000  sites,  including  40  SCIs  and  30  SPAs. 
There  are  7  Natura  2000  sites  designated  for  both 
Habitats and Birds Directives covering the same area. 

The  terrestrial  part  of  the  Natura  2000  network  can  be 
considered  almost  complete.  However,  despite  its  large 
coverage  on  land,  according  to  the  conclusions  of  the 
biogeographical  seminar  for  the  Mediterranean  region 

17 Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) are designated pursuant to the 
Habitats  Directive  whereas  Special  Areas  of  Protection  (SPAs)  are 
designated pursuant to the Birds Directive; figures of coverage do not 
add up due to the fact that some SCIs and SPAs overlap. Special Areas 
of  Conservation  (SACs)  means  a  SCI  designated  by  the  Member 
States. 

the Cypriot Natura 2000 network still presents significant 
insufficiencies  at  sea,  especially  in  the  offshore  marine 
areas, both for SCIs and SPAs18 (see Figure 519.). 

Figure  5:  Sufficiency  assessment  of  SCI  networks  in 
Cyprus  based  on  the  situation  until  December  2013 
(%)20  

For 36 SCIs the 6-year deadline laid down by the Habitats 
Directive  for  designating  these  as  Special  Areas  of 
Conservation 
(SACs)  and  establishing  appropriate 
conservation  objectives  and  measures  expired  in  early 
2016. However, only 3 SCIs have been designated as SACs 
so far, based on the last Art. 17 Habitats Directive report 
of  Cyprus.  Information  provided  by  the  member  state 
suggest that there are now 40 SCIs and according to the 
provision  of  Article  6  of  the  Habitats  Directive  there  are 
26  designated  SACs  so  far,  and  4  SAC  areas  for  which  a 
Ministerial  Decree  included  the  necessary  conservation 
measures.  

Management plans have been drawn up for most of the 
SCI/SAC areas and  are underway  for  the  SPAs which  are 

18  For  each  Member  State,  the  Commission  assesses  whether  the 
species  and  habitat  types  on  Annexes  I  and  II  of  the  Habitats 
Directive, are sufficiently represented by the sites designated to date. 
This  is  expressed  as  a  percentage  of  species  and  habitats  for  which 
further  areas  need  to  be  designated  in  order  to  complete  the 
network  in  that  country.  The  current  data,  which  were  assessed  in 
2014-2015, reflect the situation up until December 2013. 

19 The percentages in Figure 5 refer to percentages of the total number 
of assessments (one assessment covering 1 species or 1 habitat in a 
given biographical region with the Member State); if a habitat type or 
a species occurs in more than 1 Biogeographic region within a given 
Member State, there will be as many individual assessments as there 
are  Biogeographic  regions  with  an  occurrence  of  that  species  or 
habitat in this Member State. 

20 European Commission, internal assessment. 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
to  be  finalized  by  the  end  of  2016.  Consequently 
Ministerial  Decrees  have  been  adopted  for  enacting 
management  plans  including  ministerial  decrees  for  4 
SAC areas, as well as a horizontal ministerial decree for all 
areas thus including measures and actions regarding the 
protection  of  the  areas  and  the  integration  with  the 
Common  Agricultural  Policy  (Rural  Development  Plan 
2014-2020) as well as integration through measures that 
the  2nd  River  Basin 
for 
have  been  considered 
Management Plan (Water Framework Directive).  

A  major  challenge  to  the  effective  management  of  the 
Natura  2000  areas  is  their  protection  from  incompatible 
activities  or  developments  that  fragment  or  degrade 
them,  especially  within  private 
land.  Regarding  the 
development of projects and plans affecting Natura 2000 
sites  there  is  a  recurrent  issue  caused  by  the  lack  of  a 
the  Appropriate 
for  applying 
sound  procedure 
Assessments under Art. 6 of the Habitats Directive, which 
is reflected in several complaints and infringement cases 
(where no or inadequate assessments have been carried 
out). 

The  sound  management  of  areas  is  also  undermined  by 
the lack of understanding and acceptance of nature sites 
by  several  local  communities  and  land-owners.  This  is 
important because a significant part of designated Natura 
2000 areas (mainly agricultural land) in Cyprus is private 
land. 

Another  important  challenge  for  implementing  nature 
legislation is the persisting problem of illegal trapping of 
wild  birds,  especially  migratory  birds,  with  the  use  of 
nets,  lime-sticks  and  sound  producing  devices.  Although 
progress  has  been  made  in comparison  to 10 years ago, 
the  trapping  numbers  still  remain  at  unacceptably  high 
levels  at  over  one  million  a  year.  Illegal  consumption  in 
restaurants also remains an issue.  

According to the latest report on the conservation status 
of  habitats  and  species  covered  by  the  Habitats 
Directive21,  98%  of 
the  habitats'  biogeographic 
assessments  were  favourable  in  2013  (EU  27:  16  %). 
Furthermore,  0%  are  considered  to  be  unfavourable–
inadequate22 (EU27: 47%) and 2% are unfavourable – bad 
(EU27: 30%). As for the species, 69% of the assessments 
(EU  27:  23%)  13%  at 
were 
favourable 
2% 
unfavourable-inadequate 
unfavourable-bad status (EU27: 18%). This is depicted in 
Figure 623.  

in  2013 

(EU27: 

42%) 

and 

21 The core of the ‘Article 17’ report is the assessment of conservation 
status of the habitats and species targeted by the Habitats Directive. 
22  Conservation  status  is  assessed  using  a  standard  methodology  as 
being 
and 
‘unfavourable-bad’, based on four parameters as defined in Article 1 
of the Habitats Directive. 

‘unfavourable-inadequate’ 

‘favourable’, 

either 

23 Please note that a direct comparison between 2007 and 2013 data is 
complicated by the fact that Bulgaria and Romania were not covered 
by  the  2007  reporting  cycle,  that  the  ‘unknown’  assessments  have 

Cyprus  11 

Figure 6: Conservation status of habitats and species in 
Cyprus in 2007/2013 (%)24 

As  shown  in  Figure  7,  according  to  the  official  report 
under  Article  12  of  the  Birds  Directive25,  74%  of  the 
breeding  species  and  wintering  species  showed  short-
term increasing or stable population trends. 

Figure  7:  Short-term  population  trend  of  breeding  and 
wintering bird species in Cyprus in 2012 (%)26 

strongly diminished particularly for species, and that some reported 
changes  are  not  genuine  as  they  result  from  improved  data  / 
monitoring methods. 

24 These figures show the percentage of biogeographical assessments in 
each  category  of  conservation  status  for  habitats  and  species  (one 
assessment  covering  1  species  or  1  habitat  in  a  given  biographical 
region  with  the  Member  State),  respectively.  The  information  is 
based  on  Article  17  of  the  Habitats  Directive  reporting  -  national 
summary of Cyprus 

25  Article  12  of  the  Birds  Directive  requires  Member  States  to  report 
about  the  progress  made  with  the  implementation  of  the  Birds 
Directive. 

26  Article  12  of  the  Birds  Directive  reporting  -  national  summary  of 

Cyprus 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
                                                            
 
 
                                                                                                 
Cyprus  is  a  biodiversity  hotspot  area  with  a  mosaic  of 
biotopes,  extensive  natural  coniferous 
forests  and 
expansion  of  phrygana27,  traditional  cultivated  orchard 
trees and vineyards, which constitute important habitats 
for rare species.  

and 

isolated 

developments, 

Pressures  on  biodiversity  arise  from  urbanisation  and 
coastal 
scattered 
development,  tourism  and  recreation  projects  (golf 
courses,  marinas),  wind  turbine  and  photovoltaic  parks, 
road  and  electricity  infrastructure  in  wildness  areas, 
fragmentation  and  land  use  changes.  Land  use  changes 
and  soil  sealing  have  particularly  high  and  increasing 
impacts.28 Cyprus is facing a challenge since private land 
is  very  expensive  and  therefore  there  is  a  struggling 
procedure for managing private land in situations where 
nature and development are in conflict and this has led to 
slow resolution of infringements. 

The forests of Cyprus are an important national resource 
and  the  forest  sector  is  subject  to  pressures  coming 
mainly from development and climate change. Forests  –
private  and  state-owned  -  cover  an  area  of  172,535 
hectares  (18.65%  of  the  total  area  of  the  island)  and 
Other  Wooded  Land  -private  and  state-owned  -  an  area 
of  213,859  hectares  or  23.12%, 
including  phrygana 
formations.  

Extent of forest and other wooded land 

FRA 2005 categories 

Forest 

Area (1000 hectares) 

1990 

2000 

2005 

161 

173 

174 

Other wooded land 

- 

214 

214 

Forest and other wooded land 

161 

387 

388 

Other land 

...of which with tree cover 

- 

- 

537 

536 

- 

26 

Total land area 

922 

924 

924 

Inland water bodies 

1 

1 

1 

Total area of country 

925 

925 

925 

So far Cyprus has not started working on the EU initiative 
on  Mapping  and  Assessment  of  Ecosystems  and  their 
Services29,  but  has  participated  in  2  workshops  (MESEU 
and  ESMERALDA)  on  the  creation  and  evaluation  of 
mapping and evaluation of ecosystem services.  

27Phrygana or garrigue is a type of low, soft-leaved scrubland ecoregion 
and plant community in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and 
scrub biome. 

28 5th National Report to the CBD 
29  Ecosystem  services  are  benefits  provided  by  nature  such  as  food, 

Cyprus  12 

Suggested action 

  Complete  SCI  and  SPA  designations,  especially 

in 
offshore  marine  waters.  Available  funds  from  the 
Maritime  and  Fisheries  Fund  are  to  be  used  for 
covering  knowledge  gaps  on marine  waters.  Complete 
the  SAC  designation  process  and  put  in  place  clearly 
defined  conservation  objectives  and  the  necessary 
conservation  measures  for  the  sites  and  provide 
adequate  resources  for  their  implementation  in  order 
to maintain/restore species and habitats of community 
interest  to  a  favourable  conservation  status  across 
their natural range.  

  Build  the  capacity  of  the  administration  in  order  to 
improve  Appropriate  Assessment  procedures  and 
prevent  deterioration  of  Natura  2000  sites  from 
damaging  developments.  Enhance  awareness-raising 
(among  authorities,  stakeholders,  land  owners,  public) 
as  regards  Natura  2000  and  its  benefits.  Strengthen 
communication with stakeholders. 

  Step  up  efforts  to  eliminate  illegal  bird  trapping,  in 

cooperation with all parties involved.  

  Take  part  and  provide  support  to  the  mapping  and 
assessment  of  ecosystems  and 
services, 
evaluation  and  development  of  natural  capital 
accounting systems.  

their 

Green Infrastructure  
The  EU  strategy  on  green  infrastructure30  promotes  the 
incorporation  of  green  infrastructure  into  related  plans 
and  programmes  to  help  overcome  fragmentation  of 
habitats  and  preserve  or  restore  ecological  connectivity, 
enhance  ecosystem  resilience  and  thereby  ensure  the 
continued provision of ecosystem services. 

Green  Infrastructure  provides  ecological,  economic  and 
social  benefits  through  natural  solutions.  It  helps  to 
understand the value of the benefits that nature provides 
to human society and to mobilise investments to sustain 
and enhance them. 

Cyprus  has  focused  on  the  protection  of  Natura  2000 

30 European Union, Green Infrastructure — Enhancing Europe’s Natural 

clean water and pollination on which human society depends. 

Capital, COM/2013/0249 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
                                                            
 
                                                            
Cyprus  13 

per  year,  close  to  EU-28  average  (2.46  tonnes)32.  Soil 
erosion  is  also  one  of  the  priority  sectors  under  the 
National Climate Change Adaptation Plan. Figure 8 shows 
the different land cover types in Cyprus in 2012. 
Figure 8: Land Cover types in Cyprus in 201233 

areas for habitats and species, as well as the connectivity 
of 
the  network.  Landscape  elements  have  been 
incorporated in the Rural Development Plan (2014-2020) 
for protection, conservation and rehabilitation.  

Cyprus  has  formulated  National  Action  Plans  on  Climate 
Change,  Desertification  and  Biodiversity.  All  three  plans 
include measures for the conservation and restoration of 
habitats'  function  and  structure,  in  order  to  reverse 
loss,  adapt  to  climate  change,  combat 
biodiversity 
desertification  and 
into  other 
sectors, policies and strategies. 

integrate  biodiversity 

Soil protection  

further 

soil  degradation  and 

The  EU  Soil  Thematic  Strategy  highlights  the  need  to 
ensure  a  sustainable  use  of  soils.  This  requires  the 
the 
prevention  of 
preservation of its functions, as well as the restoration of 
degraded  soils.  The  2011  Road  Map  for  Resource-
Efficient  Europe,  part  of  Europe  2020  Strategy  provides 
that  by  2020,  EU  policies  take  into  account  their  direct 
and  indirect  impact  on  land  use  in  the  EU  and  globally, 
and  the  rate  of  land  take  is  on  track  with  an  aim  to 
achieve no net land take by 2050. 

SDG  15  requires  countries  to  combat  desertification, 
restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by 
desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve 
a land-degradation-neutral world by 2030. 

Soil is an important resource for life and the economy. It 
provides  key  ecosystem  services  including  the  provision 
of food, fibre and biomass for renewable energy, carbon 
sequestration,  water  purification  and  flood  regulation, 
the provision of raw and building material. Soil is a finite 
and extremely fragile resource and increasingly degrading 
in  the  EU.  Land  taken  by  urban  development  and 
infrastructure  is  highly  unlikely  to  be  reverted  to  its 
natural  state;  it  consumes  mostly  agricultural  land  and 
increases  fragmentation  of  habitats.  Soil  protection  is 
indirectly  addressed  in  existing  EU  policies  in  areas  such 
as agriculture, water, waste, chemicals, and prevention of 
industrial pollution. 

Artificial  land  cover  is  used  for  settlements,  production 
systems and infrastructure. It may itself be split between 
built-up areas (buildings) and non-built-up areas (such as 
linear transport networks and associated areas). 

The  annual  land  take  rate  (growth  of  artificial  areas)  as 
provided by CORINE Land Cover was 0.58% in Cyprus over 
the  period  2006-12,  above  the  EU  average  (0.41%).  It 
represented 471 hectares per year and was mainly driven 
by housing, services and recreation31. 

The soil erosion rate in 2010 was 2.89 tonnes per hectare 

31European  Environment  Agency  Draft  results  of  CORINE  Land  Cover 
(CLC) inventory 2012; mean annual land take 2006-12 as a % of 2006 
artificial land. 

There are still no EU-wide datasets enabling the provision 
of  benchmark  indicators  for  soil  organic  matter  decline, 
contaminated sites, pressures on soil biology and diffuse 
pollution.  An  updated  inventory  and  assessment  of  soil 
protection  policy  instruments  in  Cyprus  and  other  EU 
Member  States  is  being  performed  by  the  EU  Expert 
Group on Soil Protection. 

Marine protection 

The EU Coastal and Marine Policy and legislation require 
that by 2020 the impact of pressures on marine waters is 
reduced  to  achieve  or  maintain  good  environmental 
status and coastal zones are managed sustainably. 

SDG  14  requires  countries  to  conserve  and  sustainably 
use 
for 
the  oceans,  seas  and  marine  resources 
sustainable development. 
The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD)34 aims 
to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES)35  of the EU's 

32Eurostat, Soil water erosion rate, Figure 2, accessed November 2016 
33European Environment Agency, Land cover 2006 and changes country 

analysis [publication forthcoming] 

34European Union, Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC 
35  The  MSFD  defines  Good  Environmental  Status  (GES)  in  Article  3  as: 
“The  environmental  status  of  marine  waters  where  these  provide 
ecologically  diverse  and  dynamic  oceans  and  seas  which  are  clean, 
healthy and productive” 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
                                                            
 
                                                            
marine  waters  by  2020  by  providing  an  ecosystem 
approach  to  the  management  of  human  activities  with 
impact  on  the  marine  environment.  The  Directive 
requires  Member  States  to  develop  and  implement  a 
marine  strategy  for  their  marine  waters,  and  cooperate 
with  Member  States  sharing  the  same  marine  region  or 
subregion. 

As part of their marine strategies, Member States had to 
make  an  initial  assessment  of  their  marine  waters, 
determine  GES  and  establish  environmental  targets  by 
July  2012.  They  also  had  to  establish  monitoring 
programmes for the on-going assessment of their marine 
waters  by  July  2014.  The  next  element  of  their  marine 
strategy is to establish a Programme of Measures (2016). 
The  Commission  assesses  whether  these  elements 
constitute  an  appropriate  framework  to  meet  the 
requirements of the MSFD. 

The Mediterranean Sea region has been identified by the 
EEA in its 2015 State of the Environment report as one of 
the  main  climate  change  hotspots  (i.e.  one  of  the  areas 
most responsive to climate change) due to water scarcity, 
concentration of economic activities in coastal areas, and 
reliance on climate-sensitive agriculture. The introduction 
of  invasive  alien  species  presents  an  important  threat, 
especially  for  Cyprus  due  to  its  proximity  with  the  Suez 
Canal,  with  the  number  of invasive  alien  species 
increasing  significantly  since  1970.  Finally,  the  unique 
biodiversity  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea  Region  is  also 
threatened by pollution from land-based sources, such as 
discharges of excess nutrients and hazardous substances, 
marine  litter,  over-fishing  and  degradation  of  critical 
habitats. 

In its implementation of the MSFD, Cyprus has set GES for 
nearly  all  descriptors,  but  in  a  way  that  is  too  general. 
There  is  no  systematic  use  of  the  2010  Commission 
indicators  when  setting  Good 
Decision  criteria  and 
Environmental  Status,  there  is  lack  of  clarity  in  what 
constitutes  Good  Environmental  Status  and  what  the 
environmental  targets  and  associated  indicators  are36.  It 

36 Commission Staff Working Document Accompanying the Commission 
Report on "The first phase of implementation of the Marine Strategy 
Framework  Directive  (2008/56/EC)  -  The  European  Commission's 

Cyprus  14 

is  therefore  too  early  to  conclude  whether  Cypriot 
marine  waters  are  in  a  good  status,  as  there  were 
weaknesses in identifying what GES is in the first place. 

species, 

Cyprus  also  established  a  monitoring  programme  of  its 
marine  waters  in  2014.  However,  it  seems  that  its 
for  biodiversity,  non-
monitoring  sub-programmes 
indigenous 
changes, 
contaminants,  marine  litter  and  underwater  noise  need 
further  refinement  and  development  to  constitute  an 
appropriate  framework  for  monitoring  progress  towards 
GES37.  Marine  ecosystems  and  biodiversity  are  also 
covered by the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan. 

hydrographical 

In  2012,  Cypriot  marine  protected  areas  covered  131.4 
square kilometres of its marine waters in the Aegean and 
Levantine Sea38. 
In  its  reports  on  the  implementation  of  the  MSFD39,  the 
Commission has provided guidance to assist Cyprus in its 
implementation of the MSFD. 

Suggested action 

  Continue  work  to  improve  the  definitions  of  GES  (in 
particular  for  the  biodiversity  descriptors),  including 
through regional cooperation by using the work of the 
relevant Regional Sea Convention. 

  Address knowledge gaps.  
  Further develop approaches assessing (and quantifying) 
impacts  from  the  main  pressures  in  order  to  lead  to 
improved  and  more  conclusive  assessment  results  for 
2018 reporting. 

  Continue to integrate existing monitoring programmes 
required  under  other  EU  legislation  and  to  implement 
other  joint  monitoring  programmes,  where  they  exist, 
developed  at  (sub)regional  level,  for  instance  by  the 
Barcelona Convention. 

  Enhance  comparability  and  consistency  of  monitoring 

methods within its marine region. 

  Urgently  report  and  implement  its  programme  of 

measures40. 

  Ensure that its monitoring programme is appropriate to 

monitor progress towards its GES. 

  Ensure that the monitoring programme is implemented 
without  delay,  and  is  appropriate  to  monitor  progress 
towards its GES. 

assessment  and  guidance"  (SWD(2014)049  final  and  COM(2014)097 
final) 

37 Commission Staff Working Document Accompanying the Commission 
Report assessing Member States' monitoring programmes under the 
Marine Strategy Framework Directive (COM(2017)3 and SWD(2017)1 
final) 

38  2012  Data  provided  by  the  European  Environmental  Agency  to  the 

European Commission – Not published 

39  Report  from  the  Commission  "The  first  phase  of  implementation  of 
the  Marine  Strategy  Framework  Directive  (2008/56/EC)  -  The 
European Commission's assessment and guidance" COM(2014)097 
40 As of 7.10.2016, CY had not yet reported its programme of measures 

to the Commission 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
                                                            
                                                                                                 
Cyprus  15 

3. Ensuring citizens' health and quality of life 

Air quality  
 The  EU  Clean  Air  Policy  and  legislation  require  that  air 
quality  in  the  Union  is  significantly  improved,  moving 
closer  to  the  WHO  recommended  levels.  Air  pollution 
and its impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity should be 
further reduced with the long-term aim of not exceeding 
critical  loads  and  levels.  This  requires  strengthening 
efforts  to  reach  full  compliance  with  Union  air  quality 
legislation  and  defining  strategic  targets  and  actions 
beyond 2020. 

oxides44  increased  by  1%,  the  total  emissions  are  still 
within the currently applicable ceiling. 

Air  quality  in  Cyprus  is  reported  to  be  generally  good, 
with  exceptions.  Nevertheless,  for  the  year  2013,  the 
European Environment Agency estimated that about 450 
premature  deaths  were  attributable  to  fine  particulate 
matter45  concentrations,  and  a  further  30  to  ozone46 
concentrations.47  Figure  948  depicts  the  attainment 
situation for PM10, NO2 and ozone in 201449.  

For 2014, exceedances above the EU air quality standards 

Figure 9: Attainment situation for PM10, NO2 and O3 in 2014 

The  EU  has  developed  a  comprehensive  suite  of  air 
legislation41,  which  establishes  health-based 
quality 
standards  and  objectives  for  a  number  of  air  pollutants. 
As  part  of  this,  Member  States  are  also  required  to 
ensure 
information  on  ambient 
concentrations  of  different  air  pollutants  is  routinely 
made  available  to  the  public.  In  addition,  the  National 
Emission  Ceilings  Directive  provides 
for  emission 
reductions  at  national  level  that  should  be  achieved  for 
main pollutants.  

that  up-to-date 

The  emission  of  several  air  pollutants  has  decreased  in 
Cyprus42.  Significant  emission  reductions  between  1990 
and 2014 for sulphur oxides (-46%), ammonia (-12%) and 
for  volatile  organic  compounds  (-58%)  ensure  that  air 
emissions  for  these  pollutants  are  within  the  currently 
applicable national emission ceilings43. Although nitrogen 

41 European Commission, 2016. Air Quality Standards 
42 See EIONET Central Data Repository and Air pollutant emissions data 

viewer (NEC Directive) 

43 The current national emission ceilings apply since 2010 (Directive 
2001/81/EC); revised ceilings for 2020 and 2030 have been set by 

Directive (EU) 2016/2284 on the reduction of national emissions of 
certain atmospheric pollutants, amending Directive 2003/35/EC and 
repealing Directive 2001/81/EC. 

44  NOx  is  emitted  during  fuel  combustion  e.g.  from  industrial  facilities 
and  the  road  transport  sector.  NOx  is  a  group  of  gases  comprising 
nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). 

45  Particulate  matter  (PM)  is  a  mixture  of  aerosol  particles  (solid  and 
liquid)  covering  a  wide  range  of  sizes  and  chemical  compositions. 
PM10  (PM2.5)  refers  to  particles  with  a  diameter  of  10  (2.5) 
micrometres  or  less.  PM  is  emitted  from  many  anthropogenic 
sources, including combustion. 

46  Low  level  ozone  is  produced  by  photochemical  action  on  pollution 

and it is also a greenhouse gas. 

47  European  Environment  Agency,  2016.  Air  Quality  in  Europe  –  2016 
Report.  (Table  10.2,  please  see  details  in  this  report  as  regards  the 
underpinning   methodology) 

48 Based on European Environment Agency, 2016. Air Quality in Europe 

– 2016 Report. (Figures 4.1, 5.1 and 6.1)  

49 It should be noted that the values of PM10 in Figure 9 are raw values. 
According to article 20  of the 2008/50/EC Directive,  Member States 
shall  transmit  to  the  Commission  for  a  given  year,  information  on 
zones  where  exceedances  of  limit  values  for  a  given  pollutant  (for 
this case PM10) are attributable to natural sources. Cyprus used the 
methodology  published  by 
for 
demonstration  and  subtraction  of  exceedances  attributable  to 
natural  sources  under  the  Directive  2008/50/EC  on  ambient  air 
quality  and  cleaner  air  for  Europe”)  and  the  PM10  concentrations 
values are much lower. The report showing the methodology used is 
uploaded 
link: 
under 
http://cdr.eionet.europa.eu/cy/eu/aqd/g/envvdeqew/. 

the  Commission 

(“Guidelines 

following 

CDR 

the 

at 

Environmental Implementation Report 2016 – Cyprus 

 
                                                            
                                                                                                 
 
Cyprus  16 

have been registered regarding only the target value for 
ozone50. 

It  has  been  estimated  that  the  health-related  external 
costs  from  air  pollution  in  Cyprus  are  above  EUR  549 
million/year  (income  adjusted,  2010),  which  include  not 
only  the  intrinsic  value  of  living  a  full,  healthy  life,  but 
also direct costs to the economy. These direct economic 
costs  relate  to  213,000  workdays  lost  each  year  due  to 
sickness related to air pollution, with associated costs for 
employers  of  EUR  17  million/year  (income  adjusted, 
2010) and for healthcare of above EUR 1 – 3 million/year 
(income adjusted, 2010).51 

Suggested action 

 Maintain downward emissions trends of air pollutants - 
and  reduce  adverse  air  pollution  impacts  on  health, 
environment and economy. 

Noise 

The  Environmental  Noise  Directive  provides  for  a 
common  approach  for  the  avoidance,  prevention  and 
reduction  of  harmful  effects  due  to  exposure  to 
environmental noise. 

Excessive  noise  is  one  of  the  main  causes  of  health 
issues52.  To  alleviate  this,  the EU  acquis  sets  out  several 
requirements, 
including  assessing  the  exposure  to 
environmental  noise  through  noise  mapping,  ensuring 
that information on environmental noise and its effects is 
made  available  to  the  public,  and  adopting  action  plans 
with  a  view  to  preventing  and  reducing  environmental 
noise  where  necessary  and  to  preserving  the  acoustic 
environment quality where it is good. 

Cyprus’s  implementation  of  the  Environmental  Noise 
Directive53 is significantly delayed. Action plans for noise 
in  the  current  period  have  not  been 
management 
adopted  for  any  of  the  agglomerations  or  roads  within 
the scope of the Directive. The Commission contacted the 
Cypriot  authorities  with  regard  to  the  missing  action 
plans, and continues to follow up on the situation. 

Suggested action 

  Complete action plans for noise management. 

50  See  The  EEA/Eionet  Air  Quality  Portal  and  the  related  Central  Data 

Repository 

51 These figures are based on the Impact Assessment for the European 

Commission Integrated Clean Air Package (2013) 

52  WHO/JRC,  2011,  Burden  of  disease  from  environmental  noise, 
Fritschi, L., Brown, A.L., Kim, R., Schwela, D., Kephalopoulos, S. (eds), 
World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, 
Denmark 

53 The Noise Directive requires Member States to prepare and publish, 
every  5  years,  noise  maps  and  noise  management  action  plans  for 
agglomerations  with  more  than  100,000  inhabitants,  and  for  major 
roads, railways and airports.  

Water quality and management 

(including  surface  and  ground  waters) 

The  EU  water  policy  and  legislation  require  that  the 
impact  of  pressures  on  transitional,  coastal  and  fresh 
waters 
is 
significantly  reduced  to  achieve,  maintain  or  enhance 
good  status  of  water  bodies,  as  defined  by  the  Water 
Framework Directive; that citizens throughout the Union 
benefit from high standards for safe drinking and bathing 
water;  and  that  the  nutrient  cycle  (nitrogen  and 
phosphorus)  is  managed  in  a  more  sustainable  and 
resource-efficient way. 

SDG  6  encourages  countries  to  ensure  availability  and 
sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. 

The  main  overall  objective  of  EU  water  policy  and 
legislation  is  to  ensure  access  to  good  quality  water  in 
sufficient  quantity  for  all  Europeans.  The  EU  water 
acquis54  seeks  to  ensure  good  status  of  all  water  bodies 
across Europe by addressing pollution sources (from e.g. 
agriculture, urban areas and industrial activities), physical 
and  hydrological modifications to  water  bodies)  and  the 
management of risks of flooding.  

River  Basin  Management  Plans 
(RBMPs)  are  a 
requirement  of  the  Water  Framework  Directive  and  a 
means  of  achieving  the  protection,  improvement  and 
sustainable use of the water environment across Europe. 
This includes surface freshwaters such as lakes and rivers, 
groundwater,  estuaries  and  coastal  waters  up  to  one 
nautical mile. 

In  its  first  generation  of  RBMPs  under  the  WFD  Cyprus 
reported the status of 216 rivers, 18 lakes, 27 coastal and 
20  groundwater  bodies.  Only  43%  of  natural  surface 
water  bodies  achieve  a  good  or  high  ecological  status55 
(while the status of 23% is unknown) and 32% of heavily 
modified  or  artificial  water  bodies56  achieve  a  good  or 
high  ecological  potential.  74%  of  surface  water  bodies 
(24%  unknown),  75%  of  heavily  modified  and  artificial 
water  bodies  and  55%  of  groundwater  bodies  achieve 
good  chemical  status57.  Only  20%  of  groundwater 
bodies58 are in good quantitative status. 

54  This  includes  the  Bathing  Waters  Directive  (2006/7/EC);  the  Urban 
Waste  Water  Treatment  Directive 
(91/271/EEC)  concerning 
discharges  of  municipal  and  some  industrial  waste  waters;  the 
Drinking  Water  Directive  (98/83/EC)  concerning  potable  water 
quality;  the  Water  Framework  Directive  (2000/60/EC)  concerning 
water  resources  management;  the  Nitrates  Directive  (91/676/EEC) 
and the Floods Directive (2007/60/EC) 

55  Good  ecological  status  is  defined  in  the  Water  Framework  Directive 
referring to the quality of the biological community, the hydrological 
characteristics and the chemical characteristics. 

56 Many European river basins and waters have been altered by human 
activities,  such  as  land  drainage,  flood  protection,  and  building  of 
dams to create reservoirs. 

57  Good  chemical  status  is  defined  in  the  Water  Framework  Directive 
referring to compliance with all the quality standards established for 
chemical substances at European level. 

58  For  groundwater,  a  precautionary  approach  has  been  taken  that 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
                                                            
                                                            
Cyprus  17 

the  health  risks  linked  to  non-compliance  with  indicator 
parameters.  

As  shown  in  Figure  10,  in  2015  in  Cyprus,  out  of  113 
bathing  waters  99.1%  were  of  excellent  quality,  while  it 
was  not  possible  to  assess  the  remaining  1  bathing 
waters.61  
Figure 10: Bathing water quality 2012 – 201562 

The major water management problem in Cyprus is over-
abstraction  of  groundwater.  The  main  pressure  on 
Cypriot  surface  waters  comes  from  diffuse  sources  that 
affect 43% of surface water bodies. 17% of water bodies 
are affected by point sources and 20% by flow regulation 
or hydromorphological alterations.  

scarcity.  The  government 

Due to its semi-arid climate associated with limited water 
resources,  Cyprus  faces  significant  challenges  related  to 
in 
water 
desalination  and  recycling  of  water  to  tackle  the  issue. 
This  has  allowed  Cyprus  to  minimize  its  dependency  on 
rainfall of urban, suburban and tourist centres. The use of 
recycled water is promoted for irrigation and recharge of 
aquifers59,  which  is  good  practice  and  can  contribute 
under some conditions. 

investing 

is 

The  Cypriot  RBMP  has  a  number  of  deficiencies  that 
result  in  uncertainties  concerning  the  status,  pressures 
and effectiveness of its Programmes of Measures (PoMs). 
The  measures  planned  are  not  expected  to  bring  any 
improvement  of  the  most  pressing  problems  with 
groundwater  quantitative  and  qualitative  status,  but 
should  result  in  significant  improvement  of  ecological 
status  of  surface  water  bodies  (25%  improvement)  and 
only slight improvement (3%) in chemical status. 

A series of Regulations establishing a water pricing policy 
which would cover a broad range of water services were 
to  be  adopted  by  the  end  of  2015  (Action  Plan  agreed 
between Cyprus and the Commission during the adoption 
of  the  Cypriot  Operational  Programme  Competitiveness 
and  Sustainable  Development  2014-2020).  To  date,  the 
pricing  policy  has  not  been  fully  implemented,  with  the 
adoption of new tariffs pending. 

levels 

issues  with  nitrate 

There  are  some 
from 
agricultural  sources,  with  around  25%  of  the  reported 
monitoring  sites  being  affected  (nitrates  concentrations 
above 25mg/l) by pollution in the reporting period 2008-
2011 and an increase in the application rates of livestock 
manure.  

Only  part  of  the  territory  under  government  control 
(around  7.5%)  is  identified  as  a  nitrate  vulnerable  zone 
and therefore subject to obligatory measures of pollution 
control. 

As  regards  drinking  water,  Cyprus  reaches  very  high 
compliance  rates  of  99-100%  for  microbiological  and 
chemical  parameters,  and  shows  a  96.3%  compliance 
rate with indicator parameters laid down in the Drinking 
Water Directive.60 It is up to Member States to decide on 

comprises  a  prohibition  on  direct  discharges  to  groundwater  and  a 
requirement to monitor groundwater bodies. 

59 EUROPE 2020, Cyprus National Reform Programme 2016 
60    Commission's  Synthesis  Report  on  the  Quality  of  Drinking  Water  in 
the  Union  examining  Member  States'  reports  for  the  2011-2013 
period, 
foreseen  under  Article  13(5)  of  Directive  98/83/EC; 
COM(2016)666  Note:  2011-2013  data.  The  list  of  microbiological, 

The  final  deadline  for  Cyprus  to  reach  compliance  with 
the  Urban  Waste  Water  Treatment  Directive  was  31 
December  2012.  The  Commission  has  so  far  assessed 
compliance  with  the  expired  deadlines (2008,  2009,  and 
2011)  that  concerned  only  four  agglomerations  of  more 
than 15,000 population equivalent (p.e.)63. For those four 
agglomerations  in  2011,  96%  of  the  waste  water  load  is 
connected to a collecting system and 3.8 % addressed by 
an  individual  or  appropriate  system.  Thus,  99.8%  of  the 
load is deemed compliant in accordance with Article 3 of 
the  Urban  Waste  Water  Treatment  Directive.  However, 
only 59.8% is correctly treated as regards the secondary 
treatment  requirement.  This  is  mainly  due  to  lack  of 
performance 
the  Mia  Milia 
wastewater  treatment  plant  that  is  in  the  north  part  of 
Cyprus. However, all the monitoring data from this plant 
have  been  provided  for  the  year  2014  with  the 
submission of the 9th Art. 15 reporting exercise. All of the 
waste  water  subject  to  more  stringent  treatment  is 
correctly  treated  in  accordance  with  Article  5  of  the 
Urban  Waste  Water  Treatment  Directive64.  Cyprus 

information 

about 

chemical and indicator parameters that are assessed can be found in 
Annex I, part A, B and C of Directive 98/83/EC 

61 European Environment Agency, 2016. European bathing water quality 

in 2015, p. 26 

62 European Environment Agency, State of bathing water, 2016 
63  This  is  because  under  the  past  reporting  exercises,  Cyprus  did  not 
communicate  2012  data,  but  only  data  from  2011;  compliance  with 
the final deadline of 31.12.2012 could therefore not be assessed. It is 
expected  that  compliance  with  this  final  deadline  will  be  assessed 
with  data  reported  under  the  next  (9th)  reporting  exercise,  which 
should concern year 2014. 

64 Eighth Report on the Implementation Status and the Programmes for 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
                                                                                                 
 
                                                                                                 
belongs  to  a  pilot  project  which  aims  to 
dissemination of data65.  

improve 

Figure  11:  Urban  waste  water  Cypriot  situation  2011  – 
Final deadline 201266 

Cyprus  18 

  Establish a water pricing policy covering a broad range 
of  water  services  and  based  on  metering  that  would 
include  tariffs  reflecting  environmental  and  resource 
costs  and  provide  incentives  for  more  efficient  use  of 
water. 

  Enforce  the  laws  concerning  the  groundwater  use  to 
control  self-abstraction.  Water  permits  should  be 
consistent  with  environmental  objectives.  Water  from 
desalination  should  not  be  destined  for  agricultural 
use.  

  Monitor  the  development  of  agricultural  pressure and 
the  consequent  water  quality  changes,  with  a  view  to 
if  necessary  revising  the  nitrate 
reviewing  and 
vulnerable  zones  and  the  implementation  and  control 
of the Action Programme measures. 

  Ensure  that  all  the  waste  water  collected  is  treated  in 
treatment 
the 

secondary 

accordance  with 
requirements. 

Figure  11  shows  the  total  generated  load  at  Member 
State  level  (in  population  equivalent  and  regardless  of 
agglomerations)  and  the 
load  that  remains  to  be 
addressed by Cyprus.  

The  estimated  investment  needs  (reported  by  Cyprus 
under  Article  17  of  the  Urban  Waste  Water  Treatment 
Directive) to reach full compliance with the Directive are 
of EUR 826 million67. 
Suggested action68 

  Improve water policy in line with the intervention logic 
of  the  Water  Framework  Directive,  i.e.  do  a  more 
improve 
detailed  assessment  of  pressures 
monitoring  to  know  the  status  of  water  bodies  and 
design  PoMs  that  address  all  the  main  pressures 
identified, in particular from agriculture.  

to 

  Promote  water  efficiency  and  sustainable  water 
retention  including  natural  water  retention  measures 
in the PoM and ensure adequate funding. 

Implementation  (as  required  by  Article  17)  of  Council  Directive 
91/271/EEC  concerning  urban  waste  water  treatment 
(COM 
(2016)105 
final)  and  Commission  Staff  Working  Document 
accompanying the report (SWD(2016)45 final). 

65See http://uwwtd.oieau.fr/cyprus/   
66 European Commission, 2016. Urban waste water, 8th implementation 

reports  

67 Eighth Report on the Implementation Status and the Programmes for 
Implementation  (as  required  by  Article  17)  of  Council  Directive 
91/271/EEC  concerning  urban  waste  water  treatment 
(COM 
final)  and  Commission  Staff  Working  Document 
(2016)105 
accompanying the report (SWD(2016)45 final 

68 For the full set of recommendations relating to the Water Framework 

Directive please see here.  

Enhancing the sustainability of cities  

The  EU  Policy  on  the  urban  environment  encourages 
cities  to 
implement  policies  for  sustainable  urban 
planning and design, including innovative approaches for 
urban  public 
sustainable 
buildings,  energy  efficiency  and  urban  biodiversity 
conservation.  

transport  and  mobility, 

SDG11  aims  at  making  cities  and  human  settlements 
inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. 

Europe is a Union of cities and towns; around 75% of the 
EU  population  are  living  in  urban  areas.69  The  urban 
environment  poses  particular  challenges 
the 
environment  and  human  health,  whilst  also  providing 
opportunities and efficiency gains in the use of resources.  

for 

The  Member  States,  European  institutions,  cities  and 
stakeholders have prepared a new Urban Agenda for the 
EU  (incorporating  the  Smart  Cities  initiative)  to  tackle 
these  issues  in  a  comprehensive  way,  including  their 
connections with social and economic challenges. At the 
heart  of  this  Urban  Agenda  will  be  the  development  of 
twelve  partnerships  on  the  identified  urban  challenges, 
including air quality and housing70.  

The  European  Commission  will 
benchmark system in 201771. 

launch  a  new  EU 

The  EU  stimulates  green  cities  through  awards  and 
funding,  such  as  the  EU  Green  Capital  Award  aimed  at 
cities  with  more  than  100,000  inhabitants  and  the  EU 
Green  Leaf  initiative  aimed  at  cities  and  towns,  with 

69 European Environment Agency, Urban environment 
70 http://urbanagendaforthe.eu/ 
71  The  Commission 

is  developing  an  Urban  Benchmarking  and 
Monitoring  ('UBaM')  tool  to  be  launched  in  2017.  Best  practices 
emerge and these will be better disseminated via the app featuring 
the  UBaM  tool,  and  increasingly  via  e.g.  EUROCITIES,  ICLEI,  CEMR, 
Committee of the Regions, Covenant of Mayors and others. 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
 
                                                                                                 
                                                            
between 20,000 and 100,000 inhabitants.  

Cyprus  19 

International agreements  

The  EU  Treaties  require  that  the  Union  policy  on  the 
environment  promotes  measures  at  the  international 
level  to  deal  with  regional  or  worldwide  environmental 
problems. 

Most  environmental  problems  have  a  transboundary 
nature  and  often  a  global  scope  and  they  can  only  be 
addressed effectively through international co-operation. 
International  environmental  agreements  concluded  by 
the Union are binding upon the institutions of the Union 
and  on  its Member  States.  This  requires  the  EU  and  the 
Member  States  to  sign,  ratify  and  effectively  implement 
all  relevant  multilateral  environmental  agreements 
(MEAs) in a timely manner. This will also be an important 
contribution  towards  the  achievement  of  the  SDGs, 
which Member States committed to in 2015 and include 
many  commitments  contained  already  in  legally  binding 
agreements. 

The  fact  that  some  Member  States  did  not  sign  and/or 
ratify  a  number  of  MEAs  compromises  environmental 
implementation,  including  within  the  Union,  as  well  as 
in  related  negotiations  and 
the  Union’s  credibility 
international  meetings  where 
the 
participation of third countries to such agreements is an 
established  EU  policy  objective.  In  agreements  where 
voting takes place it has a direct impact on the number of 
votes to be cast by the EU. 

supporting 

Currently, Cyprus has signed, but not yet ratified, the Kiev 
Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers, the 
Protocol  on  Strategic  Environmental  Assessment  to  the 
Espoo  Convention  and  the  Nagoya  Protocol72.  It  has 
neither  signed  nor  ratified  the  Protocol  on  Integrated 
Coastal  Zone  Management  and  the  Helsinki  Convention 
on Watercourses and Lakes. 

72Protocol  on  Access  to  Genetic  Resources  and  the  Fair  and  Equitable 
Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on 
Biological Diversity. 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
 
                                                            
Part II: Enabling Framework: Implementation Tools 

4. Market based instruments and investment  

Cyprus  20 

Green taxation and environmentally harmful 
subsidies  

The Circular Economy Action Plan encourages the use of 
financial  incentives  and  economic  instruments,  such  as 
taxation  to  ensure  that  product  prices  better  reflect 
environmental costs. The phasing out of environmentally 
harmful  subsidies  is  monitored  in  the  context  of  the 
European  Semester  and  in  national  reform  programmes 
submitted by Member States. 

Taxing pollution and resource use can generate increased 
revenue  and  bring  important  social  and  environmental 
benefits. 

Revenues  from  environment-related  taxes  amounted  to 
3.08% of  GDP in  2014  in Cyprus  (up from  2.73  in 2013), 
above the EU average of 2.46%. Energy taxes accounted 
for  the  greatest  proportion  of  environmental  taxes  in 
2013,  amounting  to  2.37%  of  Cyprus’  GDP.  Revenues 
from transport (excluding fuel) taxes amounted to 0.71% 
of GDP. According to Eurostat, Cyprus does not generate 
any  revenue  from  taxation  placed  on  pollution  and 
resources73. 
In  the  same  year  environmental  tax 
revenues  accounted  for  9.01%  of  total  revenues  from 
taxes  and  social-security  contributions  (EU  28  average: 
6.35%) as shown in Figure 12.  

is  considerable 
A  2016  study  suggests  that  there 
potential for shifting taxes from labour to environmental 
taxes74.  Under  a  good  practice  scenario75  the  amount 
could be as high as EUR 0.17 billion in 2018, rising to EUR 
0.23  billion  in  2030  (both  in  real  2015  terms).  This  is 
equivalent  to  an  additional  0.95%  and  1.09%  of  GDP  in 
2018  and  2030,  respectively.  The 
largest  potential 
contribution to revenue would come from the suggested 
passenger  aviation  tax.  In  the  absence  of  resource  and 
pollution taxes, Cyprus could reconsider implementation 
of  resource  taxes,  such  as  water  abstraction  tax, 

73 Eurostat, Environmental tax revenues, assessed June 2016 
74  Eunomia  Research  and  Consulting,  IEEP,  Aarhus  University,  ENT, 
2016.  Study on Assessing the Environmental Fiscal Reform Potential 
for the EU28. N.B. National governments are responsible for setting 
tax  rates  within  the  EU  Single  Market  rules  and  this  report  is  not 
suggesting  concrete  changes  as  to  the  level  of  environmental 
taxation.  It  merely  presents  the  findings  of  the  2016  study  by 
Eunomia et al on the potential benefits various environmental taxes 
could bring. It is then for the national authorities to assess this study 
and their concrete impacts in the national context. A first step in this 
respect,  already  done  by  a  number  of  Member  States,  is  to  set  up 
expert groups to assess these and make specific proposals. 

75  The  good  practice  scenario  means  benchmarking  to  a  successful 

taxation practice in another Member State.  

aggregates tax and landfill tax. 

Figure  12:  Environmental  tax  revenues  as  a  share  of 
total  revenues  from  taxes  and  social  contributions  
(excluding imputed social contributions) in 201476 

Green Public Procurement  

The  EU  green  public  procurement  policies  encourage 
Member States to take further steps to reach the target 
of applying green procurement criteria to at least 50% of 
public tenders. 

Green  Public  Procurement  (GPP)  is  a  process  whereby 
public  authorities  seek  to  procure  goods,  services  and 
works  with  a  reduced  environmental  impact  throughout 
their  life-cycle  when  compared  to  goods,  services  and 
works  with  the  same  primary  function  that  would 
otherwise be procured.  

The  purchasing  power  of  public  procurement  equals  to 

76 Eurostat, Environmental tax revenues, accessed October 2016 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
 
 
                                                            
 
 
                                                            
approximately  14%  of  GDP77.  A  substantial  part  of  this 
money  is  spent  on  sectors  with  high  environmental 
impact such as construction or transport, so GPP can help 
to  significantly  lower  the  impact  of  public  spending  and 
The 
innovative 
foster 
Commission has proposed EU GPP criteria78. 

businesses. 

sustainable 

The  second  National  Action  Plan  (NAP)  for  GPP  was 
adopted by the Council of Ministers on 31 January 2012. 
EU  GPP  criteria  are  recommended  for  the  following 
product  groups:  office  equipment,  paper,  electricity, 
cleaning  products  and 
sanitary  ware, 
construction  (building  and  road),  food  products  and 
services, furniture, textiles, transport, gardening products 
and services. 

services, 

All  public  procurers  have  to  adopt  at  least  the  core 
criteria  from  the  GPP NAP  (includes  the  EU  GOO  Toolkit 
criteria  and  national  criteria  for  some  categories  for 
which there are no EU criteria), with a target of at least 
50%79.  

In  a  2010  study,  the  share  of  Cypriot  authorities  that 
included GPP requirements in between 50% and 100% of 
their contracts was estimated between 10 and 20%80. 

According  to  the  latest  survey  Cypriot  authorities  used 
green criteria in more than 50% of the cases in selected 
categories  (e.g.  70%-100%  for  IT  equipment,  recycled 
kitchen  paper,  stationery,  etc.),  which  is  slightly  more 
than the EU average81, although data are not available for 
all categories. 

Investments: the contribution of EU funds 

European  Structural  and  Investment  Funds  Regulations 
provide  that  Member  States  promote  environment  and 
funding  strategies  and 
climate  objectives 
programmes 
territorial 
cohesion,  rural  development  and  maritime  policy,  and 
reinforce the capacity of implementing bodies to deliver 
cost-effective and sustainable investments in these areas. 

in  their 
for  economic, 

social  and 

Making  good  use  of  the  European  Structural  and 
Investment  Funds  (ESIF)82  is  essential  to  achieve  the 

77 European Commission, 2015. Public Procurement 
78 In the Communication “Public procurement for a better environment” 
(COM  /2008/400)  the  Commission  recommended  the  creation  of  a 
process  for  setting  common  GPP  criteria.  The  basic  concept  of  GPP 
relies  on  having  clear,  verifiable, 
justifiable  and  ambitious 
environmental criteria for products and services, based on a life-cycle 
approach and scientific evidence base. 

79 European Commission, 2015. Documentation on National GPP Action 

Plans 

80 Adelphi et al., 2011. Strategic Use of Public Procurement in Europe 
81 CEPS, 2012. Monitoring the Uptake of GPP in the EU 
82  ESIF  comprises  five  funds  –  the  European  Regional  Development 
Funds  (ERDF),  the  Cohesion  Fund  (CF),  the  European  Social  Fund 
(ESF),  the  European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural  Development 
(EAFRD), and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). The 
ERDF, the CF and the ESF together form the Cohesion Policy funds. 

Cyprus  21 

environmental goals and integrate these into other policy 
areas.  Other  instruments  such  as  the  Horizon  2020,  the 
LIFE  programme  and  European  Fund  for  Strategic 
Investment83  (EFSI)  may  also  support  implementation 
and spread off best practice. 

With regard to EFSI there are a number of projects under 
consultation with EIB concerning Renewable Energy.            

For  the  2014-2020  programming  period  Cyprus  has 
adopted four Operational Programmes (OPs): one for the 
European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural  Development 
(EAFRD),  one  for  the  European  Maritime  and  Fisheries 
Fund (EMFF), one for the European Social Fund (ESF) and 
one for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 
and the Cohesion Fund (CF).  

The total EU allocation of ESIF for Cyprus will be EUR 874 
million (see figure 13), which is an increase compared to 
the  2007-2013  programming  period,  when  the  EU 
allocated funds amounted to EUR 612 million. 

Figure  13:  European  Structural  and  Investment  Funds 
2014-2020: Budget Cyprus by theme, EUR billion84 

The biggest share – EUR 292.1 million (33.4%) of funding 
is  coming 
for  Regional 
Development (ERDF). 

from  the  European  Fund 

EUR 269.5 million (30.8%) - from the Cohesion Fund (CF). 

EUR  132.2  million 
Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). 

(15.1%)  – 

from  the  European 

83 EIB: European Fund for Strategic Investments 
84  European  Commission,  European  Structural  and  Investment  Funds 

Data By Country 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
Cyprus  22 

EUR  128.9  million  (14.8%)  -  from  the  European  Social 
Fund (ESF). 

EUR 39.7 million (4.5%) from the European Maritime and 
Fisheries Fund (EMFF). 

In  total,  EUR  217.3  million  is  dedicated  to  Thematic 
Objective  (TO)  6  Environment  Protection  and  Resource 
efficiency,  EUR  127  million  through  the  CF,  EUR  36.9 
million  through  the  EAFRD  programme,  EUR  30  m 
through  the  ERDF  programme  and  EUR  23.4  million 
through the EMFF. In addition, EUR 51 million is foreseen 
for  TO4  Low  Carbon  Economy  (ERDF,  CF,  EMFF  and 
EAFRD)  and  EUR  39.4  million  for  TO5  Climate  Change 
Adoption  and  Risk  Prevention  (EAFRD  and  CF).  It  is  too 
early to draw conclusions as regards the use and results 
of  ESIF  for  the  period  2014-2020,  as  the  relevant 
programmes  are  still 
in  an  early  stage  of  their 
implementation.  

Current data suggest that the EU funds for the 2007-2013 
period were almost fully spent. 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5. Effective governance and knowledge 

Cyprus  23 

SDG  16  aims  at  providing  access  to  justice  and  building 
effective,  accountable  and  inclusive  institutions  at  all 
levels. SDG 17 aims at better implementation, improving 
policy  coordination  and  policy  coherence,  stimulating 
science, 
innovation,  establishing 
partnerships and developing measurements of progress. 

technology 

and 

Effective governance of EU environmental legislation and 
policies  requires  having  an  appropriate 
institutional 
framework,  policy  coherence  and  coordination,  applying 
legal  and  non-legal  instruments,  engaging  with  non-
governmental  stakeholders,  and  having  adequate  levels 
of  knowledge  and  skills85.  Successful  implementation 
depends, to a large extent, on central, regional and local 
government  fulfilling  key  legislative  and  administrative 
tasks,  notably  adoption  of 
implementing 
legislation,  co-ordinated  action  to  meet  environmental 
objectives  and  correct  decision-making  on  matters  such 
as  industrial  permits.  Beyond  fulfilment  of  these  tasks, 
government  must 
to  ensure  day-to-day 
compliance  by  economic  operators,  utilities  and 
individuals  ("compliance  assurance").  Civil  society  also 
has  a  role  to  play,  including  through  legal  action.  To 
underpin the roles of all actors, it is crucial to collect and 
share  knowledge  and  evidence  on  the  state  of  the 
environment  and  on  environmental  pressures,  drivers 
and impacts. 

intervene 

sound 

implemented  when 

Equally,  effective  governance  of  EU  environmental 
legislation  and  policies  benefits  from  a  dialogue  within 
Member  States  and  between  Member  States  and  the 
Commission  on  whether  the  current  EU  environmental 
legislation  is  fit  for  purpose.  Legislation  can  only  be 
properly 
into  account 
experiences  at  Member  State  level  with  putting  EU 
commitments  into  effect.  The  Make  it  Work  initiative,  a 
Member  State  driven  project,  established 
in  2014, 
organizes a discussion on how the clarity, coherence and 
legislation  can  be 
structure  of  EU  environmental 
protection 
existing 
improved,  without 
standards. 

lowering 

it  takes 

Effective governance within central, regional 
and local government 

Those  involved  in  implementing  environment  legislation 
at  Union,  national,  regional  and  local  levels  need  to  be 
equipped  with  the  knowledge,  tools  and  capacity  to 
improve  the  delivery  of  benefits  from  that  legislation, 
and the governance of the enforcement process. 

Capacity to implement rules 

is 

that 

crucial 

regional  and 

local 
central, 
It 
administrations  have  the  necessary  capacities,  skills  and 
training  to  carry  out  their  own  tasks  and  to  co-operate 
and  co-ordinate  effectively  with  each  other,  within  a 
system of multi-level governance. 

Alignment  of  legislation  in  Cyprus  was  closely  followed 
throughout  pre-accession  period.  No  significant  gaps 
have  arisen  and  the  process  of  putting  in  place  the  EU 
acquis led to the strengthening of environmental policies 
and  legislation.  So  far,  the  Cypriot  authorities  comply 
with  the  deadlines  imposed  by  the  EU  environmental 
legislation and react quickly and efficiently, whenever the 
Commission 
infringement  procedure.  A 
notable  exception  is  in  the  nature  sector,  where  some 
delays are observed (i.e. designation of Special Protected 
Areas and proposal of Sites of Community Interest).  

initiates  an 

The  number  of  infringement  cases  against  Cyprus  is 
moderate (8 infringement cases, of which 7 at 258 stage 
and  1  at  260  stage).  In  general,  there  are  no  significant 
problems regarding the quality of the transposition of the 
EC  Directives.  Currently  no  case  is  open.  Most  cases 
relate either to bad application of the EU environmental 
legislation or late transposition. 
According  to  a  Report  of  the  World  Bank86,  strategic 
planning  (including  in  cases  of  cross-cutting  issues)  and 
environmental policy integration are, generally, weak and 
could be improved.  
The transposition of the revised EIA Directive87 will be an 
opportunity  to  streamline  the  regulatory  framework  on 
environmental assessments. The Commission encourages 
the  streamlining  of  the  environmental  assessments  to 
avoid  overlaps 
in  environmental  assessments  and 
accelerate  decision-making,  without  compromising  the 

85  The  Commission  has  work  ongoing  to  improve  the  country-specific 
knowledge  about  quality  and  functioning  of  the  administrative 
systems of Member States. 

86Analysis of the Function and Structure of the Ministry of Agriculture, 
Natural  Resources  and  Environment  (MANRE)  of  the  Republic  of 
Cyprus, Document of the World Bank, May 2014.  

87 The transposition of Directive 2014/52/EU is due in May 2017 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
                                                            
Cyprus  24 

inspections  for  permitted  activities,  surveillance  for 
possible  illegal  activities,  investigations  for  crimes  and 
audits for systemic weaknesses. Similarly, there is a range 
of  means  to  promote  compliance,  including  awareness-
raising  campaigns  and  use  of  guidance  documents  and 
online  information  tools.  Follow-up  to  breaches  and 
liabilities  can 
(e.g. 
withdrawal of a permit), use of criminal law90 and action 
law  (e.g.  required  remediation  after 
under 
damage  from  an  accident  using 
liability  rules)  and 
contractual  law  (e.g.  measures  to  require  compliance 
with  nature  conservation  contracts).  Taken  together,  all 
of these interventions represent "compliance assurance" 
as shown in Figure 14. 

include  administrative  action 

liability 

Best  practice  has  moved  towards  a  risk-based  approach 
at strategic and operational levels in which the best mix 
of compliance monitoring, promotion and enforcement is 
directed at the most serious problems. Best practice also 
recognises  the  need  for  coordination  and  cooperation 
between  different  authorities  to  ensure  consistency, 
avoid  duplication  of  work  and  reduce  administrative 
burden. Active participation in established pan-European 
networks  of  inspectors,  police,  prosecutors  and  judges, 
such as IMPEL91, EUFJE92, ENPE93 and EnviCrimeNet94, is a 
valuable tool for sharing experience and good practices. 

Figure 14: Environmental compliance assurance 

quality of the environmental assessment procedure. The 
Commission  has  issued  a  guidance  document  in  201688 
regarding  the  setting  up  of  coordinated  and/or  joint 
procedures 
to 
assessments  under  the  EIA  Directive,  Habitats  Directive, 
Water Framework Directive, and the Industrial Emissions 
Directive. 

simultaneously 

that  are 

subject 

Coordination and integration 

Cyprus  adopted  a  National  Sustainable  Development 
Strategy in 2007, which was revised in 2010. The current 
Strategy  is  mainly  a  compilation  of  the  actions  taken 
separately  by  various  Ministries,  rather  than  being  a 
strategic  document  formulated  under  a  structured, 
participatory  process,  guiding  and  integrating  policies. 
The  governance  aspects  are  not  dealt  with.  There  is  no 
inter-ministerial  coordination  mechanism  or 
formal 
entity  to  ensure  that  the 
(sometimes  conflicting) 
objectives  are  properly  balanced  between  different 
Ministries.  Overall,  the  system  is  currently  characterized 
by a high degree of fragmentation. 

Environmental  management  is  characterized  by  a  high 
level of concentration at the civil service and the central 
government level. This, in conjunction with the small size 
of the country and the simple organizational structure in 
two  levels  of  government  (central  and  local)  presents 
opportunities  to  effectively  address  the  gaps  that  exist. 
The  role  of  local  authorities  is  rather  limited,  with  most 
taken  by 
relating 
decisions 
government  agencies.  At 
local 
the 
(empowerment,  personnel, 
environmental  capacity 
to  undertake  and 
know-how, 
is  not 
exercise  broad  environmental  responsibilities 
sufficient89. 

the  environment 
stage, 

resources) 

financial 

this 

to 

Compliance assurance 

EU  law  generally  and  specific  provisions  on  inspections, 
other  checks,  penalties  and  environmental  liability  help 
lay  the  basis  for  the  systems  Member  States  need  to 
have 
secure  compliance  with  EU 
to 
environmental rules. 

in  place 

Public  authorities  help  ensure  accountability  of  duty-
holders by monitoring and promoting compliance and by 
taking credible follow-up action (i.e. enforcement) when 
breaches occur or liabilities arise. Compliance monitoring 
can  be  done  both  on  the 
initiative  of  authorities 
themselves  and  in  response to  citizen complaints. It  can 
including 
involve  using  various  kinds  of  checks, 

Currently, there exist a number of sectoral obligations on 
inspections  and  the  EU  directive  on  environmental 
liability  (ELD)95  provides  a  means  of  ensuring  that  the 
"polluter-pays  principle" 
is  applied  when  there  are 
accidents  and  incidents  that  harm  the  environment. 
There 
information  giving 
insights  into  existing  strengths  and  weaknesses  in  each 
Member State.  

is  also  publically  available 

88  European  Commission,  2016.  Commission  notice  —  Commission 
guidance  document  on  streamlining  environmental  assessments 
conducted  under  Article  2(3)  of 
Impact 
Assessment  Directive  (Directive  2011/92/EU  of  the  European 
Parliament and of the Council, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU). 
89Analysis of the Function and Structure of the Ministry of Agriculture, 
Natural  Resources  and  Environment  (MANRE)  of  the  Republic  of 
Cyprus, Document of the World Bank, May 2014. 

the  Environmental 

90 European Union, Environmental Crime Directive 2008/99/EC 
91 European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of 

Environmental Law 

92 European Union Forum of judges for the environment 
93 The European Network of Prosecutors for the Environment 
94 EnviCrimeNet 
95 European Union, Environmental Liability Directive 2004/35/CE 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
                                                            
 
                                                            
For  each  Member  State,  the  following  were  therefore 
reviewed:  use  of  risk-based  compliance  assurance; 
coordination  and  co-operation  between  authorities  and 
participation in pan-European networks; and key aspects 
of implementation of the ELD based on the Commission's 
recently  published  implementation  report  and  REFIT 
evaluation.96  

Over the last decade, Cyprus has made efforts to improve 
risk-based compliance assurance, in particular in relation 
to 
risk 
assessment  tool  is  used  for  planning  and  targeting 
inspections of industrial installations97.  

inspections.  The 

industrial 

IMPEL 

IRAM 

Up-to-date  information  would  be  valuable  in  relation  to 
the following: 

 

  data-collection  arrangements  to  track  the  use  and 
effectiveness  of  different  compliance  assurance 
interventions; 
the extent to which risk-based methods are used to 
direct  compliance  assurance  at  the  strategic  level 
and 
in  relation  to  critical  activities  outside  of 
industrial  installations,  especially  specific  problem-
areas  highlighted  elsewhere  in  this  Country  Report, 
i.e.  non-compliant  waste  disposal,  the  threats  to 
protected habitat types and species, including illegal 
trapping  of  wild  birds,  over-abstraction  of 
groundwater98  and  the  pressures  on  water  quality 
from diffuse and point sources of pollution;  
arrangements 
for  structured  coordination  and 
cooperation  between  different  relevant  competent 
authorities;  

 

  how  the  Cypriot  authorities  ensure  a  targeted  and 
proportionate  response  to  different  types  of  non-
compliant  behaviour,  in  particular  in  relation  to 
serious  breaches  detected,  given  indications  that 
low  probability  of  being  criminally 
is  a 
there 
prosecuted  and 
for  environmental 
offences.  

sentenced 

Cyprus  participates  in  the  activities  of  IMPEL,  but  is  not 

96  COM(2016)  204  final  and  COM(2016)  121  final  of  14.4.2016.  This 
highlighted the need for better evidence on how the directive is used 
in practice; for tools to support its implementation, such as guidance, 
training and ELD registers; and for financial security to be available in 
case events or incidents generate remediation costs. 

97  Study  on 

'Assessment  and  summary  of  the  Member  States' 
implementation  reports  for  the  IED,  IPPCD,  SED  and  WID.  Industrial 
Emissions  Directive',  2016,  Amec  Foster  Wheeler  Environment  & 
Infrastructure UK Ltd in collaboration with Milieu Ltd, p. 163f.  

98  Some  good  practices  have  been  identified  in  Cyprus  in  relation  to 
water inspection, such as its enforcement programme on agricultural 
abstractions using satellite photography and on-site inspections, see 
Comparative  study  of  pressures  and  measures  in  the  major  River 
Basin  Management  Plans,  section  Governance,  2012,  p.  32,  133: 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/archives/water/implrep2007/pdf/
Governance-Pressures%20and%20measures.pdf  

Cyprus  25 

very active in relation to the work of the other European 
networks of environmental professionals.  

For  the period  2007-2013,  Cyprus  reported  one  incident 
of environmental damage falling within the scope of the 
Environmental  Liability  Directive  (ELD).  Due  to  limited 
resources  and  expertise,  Cyprus  finds  it  difficult  to  deal 
with the technical requirements of the Directive and is in 
need of further guidance and training. It did not establish 
mandatory  financial  security  (to  pay  for  remediation 
where an operator cannot) and insurance cover appears 
to  be  insufficiently  available  for  liabilities  under  the 
Directive.  

Suggested action 

greater  participation  of 
competent 
in  the  activities  of  ENPE,  EUFJE  and 

  Encourage 
authorities 
EnviCrimeNet.  
  Step  up  efforts 

in  the 

implementation  of  the 
Environmental  Liability  Directive  (ELD)  with  proactive 
initiatives, in particular by setting up a national register 
incidents  and  drafting  national  guidance. 
of  ELD 
Moreover,  take  further  steps  to  ensure  an  effective 
system of financial security for environmental liabilities 
(so  that  operators  not  only  have  insurance  cover 
available to them but actually take it up). 

Public participation and access to justice 

The  Aarhus  Convention,  related  EU  legislation  on  public 
participation and environmental impact assessment, and 
the case-law of the Court of Justice require that citizens 
and  their  associations  should  be  able  to  participate  in 
decision-making  on  projects  and  plans  and  should  enjoy 
effective environmental access to justice. 

Citizens  can  more  effectively  protect  the  environment  if 
they can rely on the three "pillars" of the Convention on 
Access  to  Information,  Public  Participation  in  Decision-
making  and  Access  to  Justice  in  Environmental  Matters 
("the  Aarhus  Convention").  Public  participation  in  the 
administrative  decision  making  process  is  an  important 
element to ensure that the authority takes its decision on 
the  best  possible  basis.  The  Commission  intends  to 
examine compliance with mandatory public participation 
requirements more systematically at a later stage. 

Access  to  justice  in  environmental  matters  is  a  set  of 
guarantees  that  allows  citizens  and  their  associations  to 
challenge  acts  or  omissions  of  the  public  administration 
for  decentralised 
It 
before  a  court. 
implementation of EU environmental law. 

is  a 

tool 

For  each  Member  State,  two  crucial  elements  for 
effective  access  to  justice  have  been  systematically 
reviewed:  the  legal  standing  for  the  public,  including 
NGOs and the extent to which prohibitive costs represent 
a barrier. 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus 

 
 
                                                            
 
The rules on access to justice in environmental matters in 
Cyprus  are  considered  as  clear.  However,  the  cost  risks 
related to bringing cases to court in Cyprus prevents not 
only  individuals  but  also  NGOs  from  taking  cases  to  the 
court. Another difficulty faced by potential litigants is the 
lack  of  timely  procedures,  which  additionally  increases 
the costs. NGOs have in principle legal standing, but case 
law  of  the  Supreme  Court  introduced  restrictions  which 
might contravene the objective of granting a wide access 
to  justice  in  the  context  of  the  Aarhus  Convention  (e.g. 
the requirement of a geographical proximity)99. 

Suggested action 

  Take  the  necessary  measures  to  ensure  that  the  costs 
of legal challenges involving EU environmental law are 
not  prohibitively  expensive,  and 
line  with  the 
law  as  well  as  the  Aarhus 
requirements  of  EU 
Convention. 

in 

Access to information, knowledge and 
evidence 

The  Aarhus  Convention  and  related  EU  legislation  on 
access  to  information  and  the  sharing  of  spatial  data 
require that the public has access to clear information on 
the environment, including on how Union environmental 
law is being implemented. 

It is of crucial importance to public authorities, the public 
and business that environmental information is shared in 
an  efficient  and  effective  way.  This  covers  reporting  by 
active 
and 
businesses 
dissemination 
through 
to 
electronic means. 

and 
increasingly 

public 
the  public, 

authorities 

The  Aarhus  Convention100,  the  Access  to  Environmental 
Information  Directive101  and  the 
INSPIRE  Directive102 
together  create  a  legal  foundation  for  the  sharing  of 
environmental  information  between  public  authorities 
and with the public. They also represent the green part of 
the  ongoing  EU  e-Government  Action  Plan103.  The  first 
two 
to  provide 
information  to  the  public,  both  on  request  and  actively. 
The  INSPIRE  Directive  is  a  pioneering  instrument  for 
electronic  data-sharing  between  public  authorities  who 
can  vary  in  their  data-sharing  policies,  e.g.  on  whether 
access to data is for free.. The INSPIRE Directive sets up a 
geoportal which indicates the level of shared spatial data 

create  obligations 

instruments 

Information,  Public 
in 

Justice 

to 

99 See study on access to justice in environmental matters 2012/2013 
100  UNECE,  1998.  Convention  on  Access  to 

Participation 
Environmental Matters 

in  Decision-Making  and  Access 

101European  Union,  Directive  2003/4/EC  on  public  access 

to 

environmental information  

102European Union, INSPIRE Directive 2007/2/EC  
103  European  Union,  EU  eGovernment  Action  Plan  2016-2020  - 
Accelerating  the  digital  transformation  of  government  COM(2016) 
179 final 

Cyprus  26 

in  each  Member  State  –  i.e.  data  related  to  specific 
locations,  such  as  air  quality  monitoring  data.  Amongst 
other  benefits 
it  facilitates  the  public  authorities' 
reporting obligations.  

accessibility  of 
State, 
For  each  Member 
environmental data (based on what the INSPIRE Directive 
envisages)  as  well  as  data-sharing  policies  ('open  data') 
have been systematically reviewed.  

the 

Cyprus's  performance  on  the  implementation  of  the 
INSPIRE  Directive  as  enabling  framework  to  actively 
disseminate  environmental  information  to  the  public  is 
lagging  behind.  Cyprus  has  indicated  in  the  3-yearly 
INSPIRE  implementation  report104  that  the  necessary 
data-sharing  policies  allowing  access  and  use  of  spatial 
data  by  national  administrations,  other  Member  States' 
administrations  and  EU  institutions  without  procedural 
obstacles are partially available and implemented. During 
the  last  year,  emphasis  has  been  placed  on  opening  up 
public  data,  through  the  recent  adoption  of  Directive 
2003/98/EC  on  the  re-use  of  public  sector  information. 
For  this  purpose,  the  Cyprus  government  has  launched 
the  open  data  website  www.data.gov.cy,  where  most 
data  published  under  the  INSPIRE  Directive  are  publicly 
available and free of charge. Through this platform public 
authorities publish information and data they possess or 
have  generated  in  all  fields,  including  statistics,  maps, 
information. 
geoscientific  data  and  meteorological 
Sections  on  Environment,  Agriculture/ 
Livestock/ 
Fisheries as well as on Geospatial data have been created 
and efforts are now concentrated on data quality control 
and on increasing data availability. Cyprus only mentions 
data-sharing licenses in use by the Department of Lands 
and Surveys.  
Assessments  of  monitoring  reports105  issued  by  Cyprus 
and the spatial information that Cyprus has published on 
the  INSPIRE  geoportal106  indicate  that  not  all  spatial 
and 
for 
information 
implementation of EU environmental law has been made 
available  or  is  accessible.  The  larger  part  of  this  missing 
spatial  information  consists  of  the  environmental  data 
required  to  be  made  available  under  the  existing 
reporting 
EU 
environmental law.  

and  monitoring 

regulations 

evaluation 

needed 

the 

of 

Suggested action 

  Critically  review  the  effectiveness  of  data  policies  and 
amend them, taking 'best practices' into consideration.  
  Identify and document all spatial data sets required for 
the  implementation  of  environmental  law,  and  make 
the  data  and  documentation  at  least  accessible  'as  is' 
to  other  public  authorities  and  the  public  through  the 
digital services foreseen in the INSPIRE Directive. 

104 European Commission, INSPIRE reports 
105 Inspire indicator trends 
106 Inspire Resources Summary Report 

Environmental Implementation Report – Cyprus