REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Seventeenth Annual Report for 2022 on the implementation of the Union assistance under Council Regulation (EC) No 389/2006 of 27 February 2006 establishing an instrument of financial support for encouraging the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community
Date: 2023-06-29
Institutions: Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support, European Commission
Subjects: Cyprus, EU aid, activity report, aid programme, civil society, development aid, economic development, financial aid, national unification, social development

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 29.6.2023  COM(2023) 355 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Seventeenth Annual Report for 2022 on the implementation of the Union assistance under Council Regulation (EC) No 389/2006 of 27 February 2006 establishing an instrument of financial support for encouraging the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community  
 
 
REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND 
THE COUNCIL 

Seventeenth Annual Report for 2022 on the implementation of the Union assistance 
under Council Regulation (EC) No 389/2006 of 27 February 2006 establishing an 
instrument of financial support for encouraging the economic development of the 
Turkish Cypriot community 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

Council  Regulation  (EC)  No 389/20061  (the  Aid  Regulation)  is  the  basis  for  the 
provision  of  assistance  to  the  Turkish  Cypriot  community  and  requires  annual 
reporting to the European Parliament and the Council. 

2. 

PROGRAMMING OF THE ASSISTANCE 

Between 2006 and the end of 2022, EUR 656 million was programmed for operations 
under the Aid Regulation. The amount committed in October 2022 for the 2022 annual 
action  programme  was  EUR 33.4  million2.  The  multiannual  financial  framework 
2021-2027 has provided a multiannual perspective to the programme with a provision 
for stable, annual funding. The assistance programme is, however, of an exceptional 
and  transitional  nature,  aiming  to  prepare  and  facilitate,  as  appropriate,  the  full 
application  of  the  acquis  in  the  areas  of  the  Republic  of  Cyprus  in  which  the 
Government of the Republic of Cyprus does not exercise effective control following a 
solution  to  the  Cyprus  problem.  Both  the  Aid  Regulation  and  Council  Regulation 
No 2020/20933 laying down the multiannual financial framework have provided for a 
revision in the case of reunification. 

3. 

IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISMS 

The programme is implemented in the areas of the Republic of Cyprus in which the 
Government of the Republic of Cyprus does not exercise effective control and where 
the application of the acquis is temporarily suspended pursuant to Protocol 10 of the 
Treaty of Accession. Assistance is implemented in direct and indirect management. 

The  Commission  operates  in  a  unique  political,  legal  and  diplomatic  context.  The 
granting of such assistance does not imply recognition of any authority in the areas 
other than the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. Ad hoc arrangements are needed 
to  implement  the  programme  while  respecting  the  principles  of  sound  financial 
management.  In  EU-funded  aid  programmes,  in  normal  circumstances,  agreements 
with  a  beneficiary  government  would  establish  the  legal  framework  for  the 
development of the assistance. No such agreements can be made for the assistance to 
the Turkish Cypriot  community. Management and mitigation of the inherent risk is 
part  of  the  Commission’s  responsibility.  Measures  adopted  include  intensive 

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Council  Regulation  (EC)  No 389/2006  of  27 February  2006  establishing  an  instrument  of  financial 
support  for  encouraging  the  economic  development  of  the  Turkish  Cypriot  community  and  amending  Council 
Regulation (EC) No 2667/2000 on the European Agency for Reconstruction (OJ L65, 7.3.2006, p. 5). 
2 
Cypriot community for the year 2021 (C(2021) 8905). 
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financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 (OJ L433I, 22.12.2020, p. 11). 

Council  Regulation  (EU,  Euratom)  2020/2093  of  17 December  2020  laying  down  the  multiannual 

Commission Implementing Decision of 13.12.2021 on adopting an Action Programme for the Turkish 

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monitoring  of  contracts  and  provision  of  support  to  beneficiaries,  revised  payment 
conditions,  and  a  careful  approach  to  the  use  of  bank  guarantees.  The  assistance 
includes  a  significant  amount  of  grant  support,  requiring  resource-intensive 
management. 

To ensure impact, the Turkish Cypriot community must be fully engaged in preparing 
the implementation of the acquis in view of the withdrawal of the suspension of its 
application  in  accordance  with  Protocol  10,  upon  the  entry  into  force  of  a 
comprehensive settlement. 

The programme team operates through the EU Programme Support Office in the areas 
not under the effective control in Nicosia. The Commission Representation in Cyprus 
also  hosts  meetings,  seminars  and  press  conferences  and  communicates  with  the 
Cypriot public throughout the island, including on the Aid Programme. In addition, 
the  EU  Infopoint,  funded  under  the  Aid  Programme,  carries  out  a  range  of 
communication  and  visibility  actions,  providing  information  about  EU  policies, 
priorities  and  actions  in  support  of  the  Turkish  Cypriot  community,  and  promoting 
European culture. 

4. 

IMPLEMENTATION DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD 

4.1. 

General overview 

The Commission continues to implement the Aid Regulation with the overall aim of 
supporting  reunification.  In  the  event  of  a  comprehensive  settlement  of  the  Cyprus 
problem, the Council will, on the basis of a proposal from the Commission, decide 
unanimously on the necessary adaptations to this Regulation. 

Operations in 2022 included the continuation of a number of established and successful 
projects, such as EU scholarships and confidence-building measures in support of both 
the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage and the Committee on Missing Persons. 
A  dedicated  facility  continued  to  fund  initiatives  under  the  bi-communal  Technical 
Committees. 

Grant support remains an essential feature of the programme. Greater assistance was 
provided to key economic sectors preparing for a settlement through projects geared 
towards  the  private  sector,  rural  areas  and  human  resource  development.  Efforts 
continued to tangibly improve the state of play in animal diseases eradication and food 
safety. 

The  Commission  continued  its  efforts  to  assist  the  Turkish  Cypriot  community  to 
comply  with  the  standards  set  by  the  package  of  two  measures  adopted  by  the 
Commission  in  2021,  registering  ‘Χαλλούμι’  (Halloumi)/’Hellim’  as  a  protected 
designation of  origin  and laying down the conditions  for movement  of this  product 
over the Green Line. A substantial effort was made to assist food business operators 
to prepare for the first protected designation of origin inspections. The Commission 
also  launched  an  informal  working  group  on  Halloumi/Hellim  bringing  together 
stakeholders from both Cypriot communities. 

There are still considerable gaps in beneficiaries’ capacity to  effectively implement 
the  acquis  upon  the  entry  into  force  of  a  comprehensive  settlement.  However,  the 
Turkish Cypriot community continued to make good progress in a number of areas and 
acquired a firmer understanding of the challenges. 

One ongoing issue has been the construction of the Famagusta sewage network, for 
which the Commission terminated the contract in December 2013. The dispute with 

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the  former  contractor  was  referred  to  arbitration  in  2017.  In  July  2022,  the  arbitral 
tribunal rendered its final decision, which was then challenged by the contractor before 
the Belgian courts. In parallel, the related remedial works continued steadily. 

The Commission continued to ensure that the Aid Programme delivered despite the 
aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenging socio-economic situation 
in  the  Turkish  Cypriot  community.  The  programme  continued  implementing  the 
COVID-19  emergency  package,  which  covered  the  most  urgent  medical  supplies, 
economic support for businesses, and expert advice to the Turkish Cypriot community. 

At the end of the year, 159 contracts were running under the Aid Programme. 

4.2. 

Progress by objectives 

The overall objective of the Aid Programme is to facilitate the reunification of Cyprus 
by encouraging the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community, with 
particular emphasis on the economic integration of the island, on improving contacts 
between the two communities and with the EU, and on preparation for the acquis. 

The activities undertaken in 2022 are described below, for each objective of the Aid 
Regulation. 

4.2.1.  Objective 1: Developing and restructuring of infrastructure 

The  United  Nations  Development  Programme  (UNDP)  continued  to  implement  the 
Local Infrastructure Facility through ongoing contribution agreements signed with the 
Commission  for  a  total  of  EUR 33.2  million.  The  facility  provides  support  for 
preparing and implementing relevant local infrastructure investments. 

In  2022,  14  priority  projects  were  active  under  the  Local  Infrastructure  Facility. 
Significant  progress  was  achieved  in  the  construction  of  the  Kormakitis  Centre  for 
Cooperation  and  the  extension  of  the  Morphou  wastewater  treatment  plant.  The 
rehabilitation  works  of  Kouklia  Reservoir  also  started.  A  series  of  steps  were 
undertaken  to  prepare  the  ground  for  launching  a  pre-feasibility  study  for  the  bi-
communal solar power plant. 

In  the  water  sector,  construction  of  the  new  Nicosia  trunk  sewer  was  completed  in 
November 2021 and the defects notification period of the project ended in December 
2022. The project involved the construction of 13 km of sewers to convey wastewaters 
from the Nicosia area to the bi-communal Nicosia wastewater treatment plant, itself 
an  EU-funded  action  completed  in  2013.  The  project  will  reduce  groundwater 
contamination and protect shared water resources for the whole island. 

Remedial works on the Famagusta sewerage network began in July 2021 and the works 
physically started in January 2022. The objective of the project is to remedy a high 
number of defects of the initial project and improve the quality and functionality of the 
system.  Significant  progress  was  achieved  through  2022,  with  roughly  70%  of  the 
planned pipeline installed. The project completion is expected towards the end of 2023. 

The defects notification period of amended works contracts for a landfill extension and 
a landfill degassing plant ended in January 2022, with the facility fully handed over to 
the Turkish Cypriot community. 

Unfortunately, the beneficiary has  not  improved operations and management  of  the 
landfill facility, and has continued with poor waste disposal practices while making no 
use of the leachate treatment plant. This has inevitably led to a significant depreciation 
of  the  investment.  Without  the  involvement  of  the  Commission,  the  beneficiary 

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launched  two  tenders  to  contract  out  landfill  operations.  However,  they  were  both 
cancelled, meaning the governance of the waste sector and its future remains unclear. 
The  Commission  has  incessantly  dedicated  its  efforts  to  support  the  beneficiary  to 
rectify the situation. 

In line with the EU-funded integrated solid waste management plan, grants  helping 
eight local communities to improve their waste management infrastructure are in the 
final phase of implementation. 

Local technical capacity to monitor the quality of the environment was strengthened 
through renovation of the air quality monitoring network, the establishment of an air 
and fuel quality reference laboratory, and the provision of capacity-building activities. 
The air quality monitoring network, in full operation throughout 2022, now provides 
measurements for more pollutants in an increased number of locations. 

In the telecom sector, the provision of new broadcasting infrastructure continued and 
is expected to be completed by the end of 2023. This EU-funded project is necessary 
to vacate all analogue television broadcasts from the 700 MHz frequency bandwidth 
by the Turkish Cypriot community. Ultimately, it will enable the unhindered allocation 
of the 700 MHz frequency band to 5G mobile services, and contribute to an increased 
digitalisation in the Turkish Cypriot community. 

4.2.2.  Objective 2: Promoting social and economic development 

The Aid Programme continued to combat the adverse economic effects of the COVID-
19  pandemic  and  to  support  the  business  environment  in  the  Turkish  Cypriot 
community. 

The project  Innovative  Entrepreneurship and Dialogue, implemented with  Northern 
Ireland Cooperation Overseas (NI-CO), was the main vehicle for support to the private 
sector,  including  in  view  of  COVID-19  recovery.  In  2022,  the  grant  scheme 
Safeguarding and Creating Employment supported 100 successful SMEs with funding 
of up to EUR 60 000 each. This came in addition to 770 micro-businesses, which were 
supported in 2021 with EUR 1 500 each. 

Significant  progress  was made in  the area of product  safety. A technical  assistance 
project on market surveillance was launched in March 2022 with the aim to introduce 
new, and to improve existing, practices in metrology, standardisation, accreditation, 
and  conformity  assessment.  The  project  contributes  to  improving  the  business 
environment in the Turkish Cypriot community and to ensure that locally produced 
goods comply with EU standards. 

In the field of rural development, 189 farmers were provided with vocational education 
training on  farm management and related topics.  Complementing the investment  in 
training, 55 rural development grants aiming to upgrade the sector proceeded to the 
final  stage  of  implementation.  A  pilot  research  and  demonstration  programme  was 
launched to overcome the gap between science, needs and practice in four identified 
pilot themes, including the Halloumi/Hellim protected designation of origin scheme. 

Implementation  continued  of  the  food  safety  and  crisis  preparedness  technical 
assistance project, which has implications for Green Line trade and implementation of 
the  Halloumi/Hellim  package.  Support  was  made  available  to  28  food  business 
operators  to  develop  and  implement  action  plans  to  reach  EU  standards.  The 
certification  process  of  farms  began  and,  by  the  end  of  2022,  11  farms  had  been 
certified and an additional 26 farms had been assessed. 

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A  third  large-scale  testing  and  sampling  of  animals  for  priority  diseases,  namely 
brucellosis  and  tuberculosis,  was  completed.  For  this,  the  Commission  provided 
laboratory tests, veterinary consumables and services. As a result, by the end of 2022, 
the  trend  of  a  decrease  in  the  prevalence  rate  of  brucellosis  continued  and  reached 
around 2% of herd prevalence. 

EU support also contributed to further progress  in engaging private veterinarians to 
implement controls. 

In the education sector, support was maintained in areas strongly linked to increasing 
capacities  in  the  labour  market,  including  through  science  education,  vocational 
education and training (VET), and lifelong learning. The first phase of the multi-year 
vocational  education  curriculum  development  project  came  to  an  end  with  tangible 
results. Among other achievements, it helped to develop 20 curriculum packages for 
revised  VET  curricula  and  a  new  testing  and  evaluation  mechanism  for  VET 
education. The project was extended for another 2 years. 

In  terms  of  science  education,  34  secondary  schools  and  12  VET  schools  received 
science  lab  equipment  for  a  total  of  77  laboratories  and  1  VET  resource  centre, 
boosting  science  learning  opportunities  for  young  people.  In  previous  years,  48 
primary  schools  received  science  lab  equipment.  The  professional  development  of 
teachers and school leaders was enhanced through the creation of a pool of trainers. A 
total of 1 468 primary and secondary teachers, head teachers and school leaders were 
trained in topics such as student-centred learning and teaching, science lab use, and 
interactive approaches in language learning. Analytical work is underway to pave the 
way for future support for lifelong learning, special needs education and qualifications. 

A new agreement was signed with the World Bank, focusing on continued provision 
of  support  to  macroeconomic  monitoring,  facilitation  of  trade  procedures  and  trade 
across the Green Line, improvement of the Turkish Cypriot business environment, and 
providing technical support in key areas of statistics. 

In the field of statistics, a technical assistance project with Statistics Denmark started 
in  September  2022  aiming  to  improve  business  delivery  and  management  of  data 
sources. Before this, IT equipment and specialised software was supplied to improve 
statistical  outputs  in  line  with  EU  standards.  The  projects  were  complemented  by 
targeted  support  provided  through  the  Commission’s  technical  assistance  and 
information exchange (TAIEX) instrument and the World Bank. All these actions form 
a  comprehensive  EU  strategy  aimed  at  improving  the  provision  of  statistics  in  the 
Turkish  Cypriot  community,  which  is  essential  to  facilitate  preparations  for 
reunification. 

4.2.3.  Objective 3: Fostering reconciliation, confidence-building measures, and support to 

civil society 

The  Committee  on  Missing  Persons,  supported  by  the  Aid  Programme  through  a 
contribution agreement with the UNDP, continued its field and laboratory work. By 
the  end  of  2022,  of  the  2 002  total  missing  persons,  it  had  exhumed  1 196  sets  of 
remains. Of these, 1 029 were identified genetically and returned to their families. 

In  December  2022,  a  new  EUR 2.6  million  contribution  agreement  was  signed  to 
provide funding for the Committee’s operations in 2023. Overall, in 2006-2022, the 
EU has contributed EUR 35.8 million to support its activities, amounting to 75% of all 
of its funding in this period. 

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Cultural  heritage  protection  through  the  bi-communal  Technical  Committee  on 
Cultural  Heritage  remained  a  key  component  of  the  reconciliation  and  confidence-
building measures supported under the Aid Programme, with 16 projects completed in 
2022.  Overall,  the  cultural  heritage  programme  has  received  EU  funding  of 
approximately  EUR 24  million.  This  enabled  more  than  120  cultural  heritage  sites 
across  the  island  to  be  conserved,  structurally  supported,  physically  protected  or 
restored. 

In December 2022, a new EUR 1 million contribution was signed to continue the EU-
funded support facility to the Technical Committees. This support is implemented by 
the UNDP. Since 2019, the support facility has funded more than 10 projects of the 
Technical  Committees,  from  feasibility  and  research  studies  to  workshops  and 
exhibitions. 

After the successful implementation  of  a pilot  bi-communal  scholarship scheme by 
United World Colleges, and continuing the good experience from previous years, 12 
students from both communities were selected in 2022 to undertake the International 
Baccalaureate Diploma  programme in  different  countries. The actions implemented 
by United World Colleges also include cross-community youth engagement activities 
and short courses aimed at empowering the youth to bring about positive change in 
their societies. 

Support  for  civil  society  continued  in  2022.  The  project  Civic  Space,  providing 
technical assistance for civil society organisations, continued to help them build their 
capacities, promote an enabling environment for the development of civil society, and 
stimulate networking and joint actions with Greek Cypriot and other EU civil society 
organisations.  Given  the  positive  feedback  of  its  work,  the  Civic  Space  has  been 
extended for another 2 years. 

The  new  call  for  proposals  Cypriot  Civil  Society  in  Action  VIII  was  successfully 
launched in March 2022 for a total financial allocation of EUR 2.5 million. The call 
focused  on  supporting  actions  in  three  areas:  bi-communal  research  actions;  bi-
communal confidence-building actions; and strengthening civil society in the Turkish 
Cypriot community.  The award process  was under  way at  the end of 2022. The 12 
projects  awarded  under  the  previous  edition  of  the  call  entered  their  full 
implementation phase, enabling civil society to undertake key advocacy activities and 
stimulate civic activity. 

The Human Rights Platform association continued to successfully implement its EU-
funded direct grant. The main activities focused on anti-trafficking, refugees’ rights, 
LGBTIQ+ rights, relevant stakeholder participation, detention conditions and freedom 
from torture. The platform was involved in bringing the first human trafficking case 
before the ‘courts’ of the Turkish Cypriot community, which ended in a conviction. It 
also provided support to victims of human rights violations and bolstered the capacities 
of civil society on rights-based issues in general. 

4.2.4.  Objective 4: Bringing the Turkish Cypriot community closer to the Union 

In 2022, the Goethe-Institut replaced the British Council as the implementing partner 
for  the  EU  Scholarship  Programme.  In  April  2022,  a  contribution  agreement  was 
concluded with the Goethe-Institut for an amount of EUR 5 million. During the year, 
159 scholarship awards were offered to Turkish Cypriot students to attend universities 
in EU countries, and the first Turkish Cypriot benefiting from an EU scholarship was 
admitted to the College of Europe. 

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Since 2007, over 2 000  scholarships have been awarded to students, covering more 
than 100 universities and 23 EU countries. These scholarships support students during 
the first year of undergraduate studies, graduate students in their masters or doctoral 
programmes, and researchers and professionals in further developing their language 
and professional skills across EU countries. 

The EU Infopoint is managed by the EU Programme Support Office together with the 
Commission Representation in Cyprus. In 2022, through its activities both online and 
offline, it  achieved  a high level  of visibility  for the EU.  The EU  Infopoint  covered 
more than 20 EU-related themes, including gender equality, gender-based violence, 
LGBTIQ+  rights,  rights  for  people  with  disabilities,  disinformation,  and  health  and 
safety at work. 

The EU Infopoint organised 35 events, attracting over 16 000 participants. The events 
showed a slight increase in attendance compared with previous years. In addition, 14 
publications, 69 infographics and 12 audiovisual products were developed, focusing 
on EU priorities in Cyprus. Traffic on the EU Infopoint’s social media continued to 
increase. The EU Infopoint’s Facebook page received around 1 000 new followers in 
2022. 

4.2.5.   Objectives 5-6: Preparing the Turkish Cypriot community to introduce and implement 

the acquis 

The TAIEX instrument is used to implement objectives 5 and 6 of the Aid Regulation. 
It helps prepare the Turkish Cypriot community for implementing the acquis in view 
of the withdrawal of the suspension of its application upon the entry into force of a 
comprehensive settlement. 

The TAIEX facility remains an important tool contributing to the Aid Programme’s 
objectives.  In 2022, the instrument  provided continuous support  across 12 thematic 
areas of the acquis through a combination of online and on-site events. It also provided 
regular assistance by health experts in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, 
151 TAIEX events were organised, keeping the number similarly high in comparison 
with the previous year. In addition, a database of all legal texts drafted with TAIEX 
support  was  developed,  and  efforts  to  improve  the  quality  of  translation  and 
interpretation in the Turkish Cypriot community continued. 

TAIEX  support  for  trade  across  the  Green  Line  (Council  Regulation  (EC)  No 
866/2004) continued. Commission-mandated independent experts carried out regular 
inspections  of  fresh  fruits  and  vegetables,  potatoes,  honey  and  fish.  In  addition,  in 
2022, six types of processed food of non-animal origin crossed the Green Line for the 
first  time.  These  include  olive  oil,  tahini,  halva,  carob  syrup,  jams  and  fruit  juice. 
TAIEX experts were the main driving force ensuring EU-level standards and quality 
through relevant compliance checks of the facilities. 

The Commission also worked on removing obstacles to Green Line trade by ensuring 
smooth  implementation  of  the  inspection  regimes  newly  put  in  place,  which  now 
require phytosanitary certificates for all fruits and vegetables. 

4.3. 

Financial execution (contracts and payments) 

4.3.1.  Contracting 

The Commission signed legal commitments amounting to EUR 27.2 million in 2022. 

4.3.2.  Payments 

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Payments in 2022 totalled EUR 40.6 million (EUR 38 million in 2021). 

4.4.  Monitoring 

The  Commission  is  directly  responsible  for  implementing  most  projects  (direct 
management). The level of monitoring by Commission staff is very high, with constant 
contacts  with  contractors,  spot-check  visits,  site  meetings  and  steering  committee 
meetings. The technical assistance provided by the Grant Support Team continued to 
support the Commission in monitoring the implementation of grant contracts, while 
also  assisting  grant  beneficiaries  in  applying  EU  rules  on  implementing  grant 
contracts, including secondary procurement rules. 

The Commission also implements a number of contracts through indirect management. 
The implementing bodies, such as the UNDP, the World Bank, the Goethe-Institut and 
NI-CO, report to the Commission in line with the respective framework agreements. 
The Commission is closely involved in the day-to-day monitoring of these actions. 

4.5. 

Audit and controls 

The  recommendations  of  the  last  audit  conducted  by  the  Internal  Audit  Service  in 
2017, related to internal control arrangements in the area of public procurement, have 
been fully implemented. 

4.6. 

Evaluation 

The results-oriented monitoring (ROM) project was completed in 2022. It reviewed 
the  selected  actions  and  delivered  the  planned  trainings  on  the  improved  internal 
monitoring capacity of relevant stakeholders. ROM experts made recommendations 
on relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability; these have been incorporated 
into the reviewed actions and beyond. 

The Commission published a staff working document4 on the results of the evaluation 
of the Aid Programme in 2022. This evaluation provided an independent assessment 
and evidence of the progress made towards achieving the Aid Regulation objectives in 
the  period  2013-2018.  The  evaluation  concluded  that  the  Aid  Programme  can  be 
considered  as  highly  relevant  and,  given  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  the  Turkish 
Cypriot  community  context,  a  relatively  successful  initiative,  with  substantial  EU 
added value. 

4.7. 

Information, publicity and visibility 

Overall, 584 visibility and communication actions were organised in 2022 to showcase 
the EU’s work. The Commission published the booklet on EU support in response to 
COVID-19; preparations for the booklet on private sector development advanced. 

4.8. 

Consultations with the Government of the Republic of Cyprus 

Meetings were held with representatives of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, 
both in person  and online. The Commission continues to rely on the Government’s 
cooperation for the verification of property rights and the facilitation of the work of 
the  bi-communal  technical  committees.  The  Commission  meets  regularly  with  the 
Permanent Representation. 

4  
for the Turkish Cypriot community (2013-2018) - Publications Office of the EU (europa.eu). 

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT EVALUATION Evaluation of the Aid Programme 

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5. 

CONCLUSIONS 

Through the work it does in line with the Aid Regulation objectives, the Commission 
continues to deliver assistance under the Aid Regulation to facilitate the reunification 
of  Cyprus  by  encouraging  the  economic  development  of  the  Turkish  Cypriot 
community. During 2022, assistance continued to focus on areas that present particular 
problems for future compliance with the acquis. 

The track record of past assistance and the maturity of projects will be continuously 
reflected in future programming  rounds. Efforts will continue to focus on making a 
greater impact in priority areas through fewer but larger actions. 

The Commission stands ready to deploy resources as needed, including under the Aid 
Programme, to support settlement negotiations under UN auspices. 

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