COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2024 Rule of Law Report Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in 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 2024 Rule of Law Report The rule of law situation in the European Union
Date: 2024-07-24
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: Cyprus, administrative transparency, corruption, democracy, freedom of the press, independence of the judiciary, infringement of EU law, pluralism in the media, rule of law, whistleblowing

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 24.7.2024  SWD(2024) 813 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2024 Rule of Law Report        Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in 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 2024 Rule of Law Report                  The rule of law situation in the European Union {COM(2024) 800 final} - {SWD(2024) 801 final} - {SWD(2024) 802 final} - {SWD(2024) 803 final} - {SWD(2024) 804 final} - {SWD(2024) 805 final} - {SWD(2024) 806 final} - {SWD(2024) 807 final} - {SWD(2024) 808 final} - {SWD(2024) 809 final} - {SWD(2024) 810 final} - {SWD(2024) 811 final} - {SWD(2024) 812 final} - {SWD(2024) 814 final} - {SWD(2024) 815 final} - {SWD(2024) 816 final} - {SWD(2024) 817 final} - {SWD(2024) 818 final} - {SWD(2024) 819 final} - {SWD(2024) 820 final} - {SWD(2024) 821 final} - {SWD(2024) 822 final} - {SWD(2024) 823 final} - {SWD(2024) 824 final} - {SWD(2024) 825 final} - {SWD(2024) 826 final} - {SWD(2024) 827 final} - {SWD(2024) 828 final} - {SWD(2024) 829 final} - {SWD(2024) 830 final} - {SWD(2024) 831 final}  
 
 
ABSTRACT 

The  major  reform  of  the  Cypriot  courts  system  and  the  new  rules  on  civil  procedure  are 
positive developments  that  have been welcomed  by all stakeholders. The  Government  is in 
the  process  of  drafting  legislation  aiming  to  separate  the  advisory  and  prosecutorial  role  of 
the  Law  Office,  which  is  a  positive  step  towards  strengthening  the  independence  of  the 
Prosecution  Service.  There  is  still  no  possibility  of  review  of  the  decisions  of  the  Attorney 
General  not  to  prosecute or to  discontinue proceedings. Efforts  to  improve the low level  of 
digitalisation  continue,  while  challenges  persist,  including  in  the  deployment  of  the  new 
electronic  case-management  system.  Difficulties  to  attract  qualified  candidates  for  judicial 
positions and the persistent shortage of support staff could negatively affect the work of the 
courts.  The  implementation  of  measures  to  reduce  the  excessive  length  of  proceedings 
continues at a fast pace, while serious challenges remain regarding the efficiency of justice, in 
particular for cases before second instance courts. 

Steps  have  been  taken  to  increase  the  resources  of  the  Independent  Authority  against 
Corruption  and  to  accelerate  the  delayed  monitoring  of  the  implementation  of  the  National 
Strategy Against Corruption. The limited access to relevant information affects the ability of 
the  Audit  Office  to  effectively  perform  audits.  Few  cases  advanced,  including  high-level 
corruption  cases,  and  the  number  of  convictions  remained  limited.  New  legislation  on  the 
declaration  of  asset  was  adopted,  while  it  remains  to  enter  into  force  and  be  effectively 
implemented. Lobbying measures started to be implemented and rules on conflicts of interest 
for Members of Parliament continue to be monitored. Integrity rules for top-level executive 
functions  are  under  discussion,  and  no  changes  are  foreseen  for  Members  of  Parliament. 
Integrity measures exist for judges, while some concerns were raised about the oversight and 
accountability  system  for  the  police.  Guidelines  were  developed  to  handle  whistleblowing 
reports. Specific initiatives have been taken to counter the high risks of corruption in public 
procurement and local administrations. 

There have been no further regulatory changes to the framework relating to transparency of 
media ownership nor to address the lack of legislation and transparency in the field of state 
advertising.  Further  steps  were  made  with  regard  to  the  independent  governance  of  public 
service  media  as  the  consultation  process  started  in  2022  on  a  planned  overhaul  of  the  law 
regulating  public  service  media  is  ongoing.  A  bill  on  press  freedom  which  aims  at 
introducing provisions relating to electronic media, enshrining a code of practice in law and 
safeguarding  the  safety  of  journalists  and  other  media  workers,  has  been  put  on  hold 
following consultations. While an information campaign was launched with the aim to raise 
awareness on the public’s right to access information, challenges in implementation persist.  

The launching of the e-consultation platform is a step towards improving effective and timely 
consultation  of  stakeholders  in  the  legislative  process,  but  further  measures  are  needed  for 
meaningful  public  consultation.  The  Ombudsperson  is  undertaking  an  additional  role  in 
monitoring  compliance  with  fundamental  rights.  A  draft  law  aims  to  address  persistent 
challenges  regarding  the  failure  by  parts  of  the  administration  to  comply  with  decisions  of 
administrative courts. Plans for regular dialogue between the authorities and civil society are 
encouraging,  while  concerns  remain  as  to  the  administrative  requirements  imposed  to  Civil 
Society Organisations.  

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RECOMMENDATIONS 

Overall, concerning the recommendations in the 2023 Rule of Law Report, Cyprus has made: 

•  Some  progress  on  strengthening  the  independence  and  the  accountability  of  the 
Prosecution Service, including by providing for a possibility of review of the decision of 
the Attorney General not to prosecute or to discontinue proceedings, taking into account 
European standards on independence and autonomy of the prosecution. 

•  Some  progress  on  ensuring  that  the  recently  established  Independent  Authority  against 
Corruption  has  the  financial,  human  and  technical  resources  to  effectively  perform  its 
competences. 

•  Significant  progress  on  introducing  rules  on  asset  disclosure  for  elected  officials  to 
establish  regular  and  comprehensive  filing,  combined  with  effective,  regular  and  full 
verifications. 

•  No  progress  on  adopting  legislation  to  ensure  fair  and  transparent  distribution  of 

advertising expenditure by the state and state-owned companies. 

•  Some further progress on advancing with the process aimed at strengthening the rules and 
mechanisms to enhance the independent governance of public service media taking into 
account European standards on public service media. 

•  Some further progress on proceeding with the adoption of the framework for the effective 
and  timely  consultation  of  stakeholders  in  the  legislative  process  and  ensure  its 
implementation. 

On this basis, and considering other developments that took place in the period of reference, 
and  in  addition  to  recalling  the  relevant  commitments  made  under  the  Recovery  and 
Resilience Plan, it is recommended to Cyprus to: 

•  Take  forward  plans  to  adopt  legislation  aiming  to  provide  a  clearer  distinction  between 
the advisory and the prosecutorial functions of the Attorney General and take measures to 
establish  an  effective  review  of  its  decisions  not  to  prosecute  or  to  discontinue 
proceedings, taking into  account  European standards on independence and autonomy of 
the prosecution.  

•  Continue the efforts to ensure that the Independent Authority against Corruption has the 

human and technical resources to effectively perform its competences. 

•  Ensure  the  effective  implementation  of  rules  on  asset  disclosure  for  elected  officials  to 
establish  regular  and  comprehensive  filing,  combined  with  effective,  regular  and  full 
verifications.  

•  Adopt legislation to ensure fair and transparent distribution of advertising expenditure by 

the state and state-owned companies.  

•  Further  advance  with  the  process  aimed  at  strengthening  the  rules  and  mechanisms  to 
enhance  the  independent  governance  of  public  service  media  taking  into  account 
European standards on public service media.  

•  Continue  efforts  to  ensure  the  effective  and  timely  consultation  of  stakeholders  in  the 

legislative process and address shortcomings. 

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I. 

JUSTICE SYSTEM  

The court system is composed of six District Courts, six Assize Courts1, the Administrative 
Court2,  the  Administrative  Court  of  International  Protection3,  the  Commercial  and  the 
Admiral  Court4  at  first  instance.  In  addition,  there  are  family  courts,  rent  control  courts, 
industrial disputes courts and a military court5. A Court of Appeals deals with appeals against 
all  judgments  issued  at  first  instance6.  The  third  instance  of  jurisdiction  comprises  the 
Supreme Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court7. First and second instance judges are 
appointed, transferred and promoted by the Supreme Council of Judicature (SCJ)8. Judges at 
the  highest  courts  are  appointed  by  the  President  of  the  Republic,  on  the  basis  of  a  list  of 
suitable candidates established by the Advisory Judicial Council9. The Prosecution Service is 
organised under the Attorney General of the Republic, who is appointed by the President of 
the Republic10. The Attorney General heads also the Law Office of the Republic, which is an 
independent service11 assisting him, not subjected to any ministry. Cyprus participates in the 
European  Public  Prosecutor’s  Office  (EPPO).  The  independent  national  bar  association  has 
regulatory and disciplinary competence as regards its members.  

Independence  

The level of perceived judicial independence in Cyprus continues to be average among 
both the general public and companies. Overall, 49% of the general population and 47% of 
companies perceive the level of independence of courts and judges to be ‘fairly or very good’ 

1   The Assize Court has unlimited jurisdiction to hear and determine at first instance any criminal case. 
2   Establishment and Function of the Administrative Court, Law 131 (I)/2015. 
3   Establishment and Function of the Administrative Court for International Protection, Law 73 (I)/2018. 
4   Establishment  and  Operation  of  the  Commercial  Court  and  the  Admiralty  Court,  Law  62  (I)/2002.  The 

Courts will adjudicate, at first instance, on high profile commercial and admiralty cases respectively. 

5   2022 and 2023 Rule of Law Reports, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus p. 3. 
6   The Court of Appeals is composed of 16 judges and has three divisions: civil, criminal and administrative. 
7   The Supreme Constitutional Court, composed of nine judges, mainly rules on (i) unconstitutionality claims; 
(ii)  conflicts  of  competence  between  public  authorities;  and  (iii)  administrative  cases  at  third  degree.  The 
Supreme Court, composed of seven judges, acts as third degree of jurisdiction in all civil and criminal cases, 
and cases under the competence of specialized courts.  

8   The  Supreme  Council  of  Judicature  is  composed  of  all  the  judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  the  Advocate 
General, the President of the Cyprus Bar Association and two experienced lawyers. Constitution of Cyprus, 
Article  157  para.  2.  This  constitutional  provision  is  further  elaborated  in  Law  on  the  Administration  of 
Justice of 1964, Section 10, as modified by Laws 163(I)/2022 and 223(I)/2022. 

9   The Advisory  Judicial  Council  is  composed of  the  judges of  the  court  for  which  the  candidates  apply,  the 
Attorney  General,  the  President  of  the  Bar  association  and  two  experienced  lawyers.  Only  the  judges-
members have the right to vote. The President of the Republic is not bound to appoint a person from the list 
of  the  proposed  candidates.  2023  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Country  Chapter  on  the  rule  of  law  situation  in 
Cyprus p. 4. 

10   The Attorney General has the power, exercisable at his discretion in the public interest, to institute, conduct, 
take over and continue or discontinue any proceedings for an offence against any person (legal or natural) in 
the Republic. The Attorney General is also the legal adviser of the Republic, of the President, of the Council 
of Ministers and of the Ministers individually. He is also honorary president of the Cyprus Bar Association, 
chair of its disciplinary council and of the body responsible for the admission to practice and enrolment of 
lawyers. He performs all other functions and duties conferred on him by the Constitution or by statutory law. 
See Constitution of Cyprus, Article 112. 

11   The Attorney General’s representatives (law officers) act on his behalf and only take instructions from him. 
All  law  officers  are  members  of  the  Public  Service,  subject  to  the  Public  Service  Law  and  Regulations 
including disciplinary procedures as all other public servants. 

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in  202412.  Among  the  general  public,  this  figure  has  decreased  in  comparison  with  2023 
(54%),  as  well  as  in  comparison  with  2020  (55%).  The  perceived  judicial  independence 
among companies has increased in comparison with 2023 (44%), but it is slightly lower than 
in 2020 (48%)13. 

There  has  been  some  progress  in  strengthening  the  independence  of  the  Prosecution 
Service, as  the Government is  in the process  of drafting legislation aiming to separate 
the advisory and the prosecutorial functions of the Attorney General. The 2023 Rule of 
Law Report recommended to Cyprus to “strengthen the independence (…) of the Prosecution 
Service, (…), taking into account European standards on independence and autonomy of the 
prosecution”14. Previously identified weaknesses regarding the independence of prosecution 
have not yet been addressed, which may undermine the effectiveness of the criminal justice 
system, the broader anti-corruption framework and business environment15. In May 2024, the 
Minister  of  Justice  announced  before  the  Parliament  that  following  the  completion  of  a 
comparative  study16,  the  Ministry  of  Justice  is  in  the  process  of  preparing  draft  legislation 
aiming  to  separate  the  advisory  and  the  prosecutorial  functions  of  the  Attorney  General17. 
Once prepared, the draft bills will be discussed with relevant stakeholders and be submitted 
for legal vetting to the Law Office18. Parliament also held discussions on the need to reform 
the Law Office19. In February 2024, nine Members of Parliament tabled a legislative proposal 
to amend Article 113 of the Constitution20 and establish a new independent service of public 

12   Figures 51 and 53, 2024 EU Justice Scoreboard and Figures 50 and 52, 2022 EU Justice  Scoreboard. The 
level  of  perceived  judicial  independence  is  categorised  as  follows:  very  low  (below  30%  of  respondents 
perceive judicial independence as fairly good and very good); low (between 30-39%), average (between 40-
59%), high (between 60-75%), very high (above 75%). 

13   31% of the companies in Cyprus are either fairly or very confident that their investments are protected by the 
law  and  courts  in  the  Member  State.  42%  of  the  surveyed  companies  see  the  quality,  efficiency  or 
independence of justice as one of the main reasons for concern about investment protection in the country. 
Figures 55 and 56, 2024 EU Justice Scoreboard.  

14   2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 2. 
15   European  Semester  2024  Country  Report  –  Cyprus,  SWD  (2024)  613  final,  pp.  11  and  59.  See  also, 
Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  –  Mid-term  evaluation,  Case  study  on  economic,  social  and  institutional 
resilience: justice reforms, p 2. 

16   The study focused on the applicable framework in countries that have a similar legal system to Cyprus, such 
as Malta, Ireland and UK. Written contribution from the Ministry of Justice and Public Order in the context 
of the country visit to Cyprus.  

17   The previously submitted Proposal for the Law on the Law Office of the Republic of 2022 is pending before 
the relevant parliamentary committee since April 2023. See, 2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on 
the rule of law situation in Cyprus, pp. 6-7.  

18   The Law Office (Legal Vetting Section) is responsible for the legislative control of all draft bills. 
19   See, for an overview of the roles and powers of the Attorney General, footnote 10. The Standing Committee 
on Institutions, Merit and the Ombudsman held several hearings on possible ways to remedy the imbalances 
existing  in  the  constitutional  structure  (File  No.  23.04.038.1099-2021  ‘The  long-standing  problems 
encountered  in  the  Republic  of  Cyprus  due  to  the  lack  of  checks  and  balances  in  relation  to  institutions, 
division of powers and the functioning of the State) and relevant discussions following the publication of the 
2023 Rule of Law Report. Written contribution from Parliament in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, 
pp. 1-2.  

20   Constitution  of  Cyprus,  Article  113:  “1.  The  Attorney-General  of  the  Republic  assisted  by  the  Deputy 
Attorney General of the Republic shall be the legal adviser of the Republic and of the President and of the 
Vice-President  of  the  Republic  and  of  the  Council of  Ministers  and  of  the  Ministers  and  shall  exercise  all 
such other powers and shall perform all such other functions and duties as are conferred or imposed on him 
by this Constitution or by law. 2. The Attorney-General of the Republic shall have power, exercisable at his 
discretion in the public interest, to institute, conduct, take over and continue or discontinue any proceedings 
for  an  offence  against  any  person  in  the  Republic.  Such  power  may  be  exercised  by  him  in  person  or  by 

4 

 
 
 
prosecutors headed by a General Prosecutor21, which is still to be scheduled for discussion. 
Stakeholders generally welcomed the proposal22. Thus, there has been some progress on the 
implementation  of  this  element  of  the  recommendation  made  in  the  2023  Rule  of  Law 
Report. 

There  has  been  some  progress  related  to  providing  for  a  possibility  of  review  of  the 
decisions  of  the  Attorney  General  not  to  prosecute  or  to  discontinue  proceedings.  The 
2023 Rule of Law Report recommended to Cyprus to “strengthen (…) the accountability of 
the Prosecution Service, including by providing for a possibility of review of the decision of 
the  Attorney  General  not  to  prosecute  or  to  discontinue  proceedings,  taking  into  account 
European  standards  on  independence  and  autonomy  of  the  prosecution”23.  The  Attorney 
General announced plans to establish an internal procedure24 for the review of his decisions 
not  to  prosecute  or  to  discontinue  criminal  proceedings25.  The  proposed  procedure  foresees 
the  internal  workflows  for  assessing  both  the  initial  decision  regarding  prosecution  and  the 
request  for  review26.  The  final  decisions  in  both  cases  are  taken  by  the  Deputy  Attorney 
General or the Attorney General27. Claimants or victims would receive information about the 
decisions and their reasons limited to the extent necessary by considerations of public interest 
or the protection of third parties. Those having a legitimate interest would be able to submit a 
request for review within a ‘reasonable time’. A similar procedure is envisaged for decisions 
to discontinue criminal proceedings. The Law Office is also in the process of preparing a set 
of criteria, based on which, initial decisions to prosecute or to discontinue proceedings will be 

officers subordinate to him acting under and in accordance with his instructions’.  Article 113 is not part of 
the unamendable constitutional provisions. It can thus be modified with an increased majority by Parliament. 
Cyprus Constitution, Article 182. Since its adoption in 1960, the Constitution has been amended 18 times. 

21   Draft Law on the 19th Amendment of the Constitution (1) 2024.  
22   Written contribution from the Audit Office in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, p.19;  Information 
received  from  Oxygen  for  Democracy  in  the  context  of  the  country  visit  to  Cyprus;  OPEK  (2024),  Press 
Release of 5 February 2024, End of the anachronism with the ‘uncontrolled powers’ of the Attorney General, 
OPEK:  The  amendment  of  the  Constitution  is  more  than  necessary.  On  the  contrary,  the  Law  Office 
considers that any amendments to the Constitution can only be made with caution. Written contribution from 
the  Law  Office  in  the  context  of  the  country  visit  to  Cyprus,  p.  1.  Stakeholders  have  also  raised  concerns 
regarding  the  role  of  the Attorney  General  in  the  functioning  of  the  Cyprus  Bar Association,  including  its 
disciplinary board. See, for instance, the intervention of the former President of the Bar, including in relation 
to  a  recent  case,  where  the  Attorney  General  reported  a  lawyer  to  the  Bar  Association  for  possible 
disciplinary proceedings, after the latter publicly criticised the Attorney General for a decision to discontinue 
criminal proceedings initiated by the lawyer’s client (Institute of Studies for Politics and Democracy, ISPD 
Politics Podcast, Ep.10 The separation of powers of the Attorney General, 26 February 2024). 

23   2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 2. 
24   According to the Law Office, an internal review was considered a more appropriate measure than a judicial 
review  due  to  constitutional  constraints.  Written  contribution  from  the  Law  Office  in  the  context  of  the 
country visit to Cyprus, p. 6. 

25   Internal  procedure  of  the  Law  Office  relating  to  initial  and  review  decisions  to  institute  or  to  discontinue 
criminal proceedings. Written contribution from the Law Office in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, 
annex 2.  

26   Initial decisions would be assessed consecutively by (i) a legal officer; (ii) the senior lawyer/team leader; and 
(iii) the Head of the Criminal Law Department. Requests for review would be examined by a team of two 
prosecutors. The review team may request the views of the Head of the Criminal Law Department in order 
for the latter to explain the rationale of the initial decision. 

27   In principle, it is the Deputy Attorney-General deciding on prosecution, unless the case is particularly serious 
or raises issues of public interest. In that case, the decision is taken by the Attorney General. The  Attorney 
General would take the final decision on requests for review.  

5 

 
 
taken28 and of reviewing the Code of Conduct of Public Prosecutors29. Plans to introduce a 
legal  remedy in  the Cypriot legal  order are  a first  positive step and the draft legal  texts  are 
expected  to  be  presented  soon.  The  effectiveness  of  the  envisaged  review  in  guaranteeing 
accountability  and  improving  public  trust  in  the  prosecution  authorities  is  to  be  assessed 
taking into account European standards30. Prosecutors and legal officers are acting under and 
in accordance with the instructions of the Attorney-General, who decides on both the initial 
and the review request. The strict hierarchical internal organisation of the Law Office31 raises 
questions as regards the effectiveness of the remedy. In addition, the conditions under which 
claimants  and  victims  can  ask  for  a  review  do  not  provide  legal  certainty32.  Stakeholders 
underlined  the  need  to  increase  public  trust  and  provide  for  judicial  review,  in  particular 
against decisions of the prosecution service not to investigate or prosecute alleged corruption, 
fraud and other criminal offences affecting the Union’s financial interests33. There has been 
some, albeit limited, progress on the implementation of this element of the recommendation 
made in the 2023 Rule of Law Report. 

Quality  

The  major  reform  of  the  courts  system  and  the  new  rules  on  civil  procedure  are  a 
positive  development  that  has  been  welcomed  by  all  stakeholders.  The  justice  system 
underwent  a  major  reform  in  the  second  half  of  2023.  New  levels  of  jurisdiction  and  new 
courts  were  established34.  Following  the  timely  appointment  of  all  judges,  the  newly 
established Supreme Constitutional Court and Court of Appeal started  adjudicating cases in 

28   GRECO  had  also  recommended  to  the  Cypriot  authorities  to  justify  in  writing  decisions  to  discontinue 
criminal cases, considering that decisions taken ought to be subject to sufficient checks and balances, e.g. be 
guided  by  strict  criteria  and  the  justifications  sufficiently  documented.  GRECO  (2016),  Fourth  Evaluation 
Round, Evaluation Report on Cyprus on Corruption prevention in respect of members of parliament, judges 
and prosecutors, para. 191.  

29   The  main  change  introduced  is  the  introduction  of  a  right  for  prosecutors  and  legal  officers  dealing  with 
criminal  cases  under  the  instructions  of  the Attorney  General  to  refuse  to  carry  out  instructions  which  are 
illegal  or  run  counter  to  their  conscience.  Written  contribution  from  the  Law  Office  in  the  context  of  the 
country visit to Cyprus. 

30   See, in particular, the relevant opinions of the Venice Commission, ‘any powers to start, stop and discontinue 
criminal  proceedings,  which are  not  subject  to  judicial  review,  do not  comply  with  modern  notions  of  the 
rule  of  law’  (CDL-AD(2018)028-e,  Opinion  on  Constitutional  arrangements  and  separation  of  powers  and 
the independence of the judiciary and law enforcement, para. 67); as well as CDL-AD(2010)040, Report on 
European Standards as regards the independence of the judicial system: Part II- the prosecution service, para. 
45;  and  CDL-AD(2016)017,  Rule  of  Law  Checklist, 
II.E.1.d.xii.  See  also,  Recommendation 
CM/Rec(2000)19 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the role of public prosecution 
in the criminal justice system, para. 34. 

31   The hierarchical subordination of prosecutors to the Attorney General is enshrined in the Constitution. The 
Draft  Law  on  the  Law  Office  reflects  the  strict  hierarchical  structure  by  reiterating  that  legal  officers 
‘represent the Attorney General and act under his instructions’.  Proposal for the Law on the Law Office of 
the Republic of 2022. Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 1. 

32   It  is  not  clear  who  is  entitled  to  submit  a  request,  as  the  use  of  the  notion  ‘legitimate  interest’  calls  for 
different interpretations. Also, there are no clear time-limits for asking for review. The notion of reasonable 
time is open to interpretation. Last, it is also not clear how claimants can request a review in case they have 
not received reasons for the initial decision.  

33   In July 2023, citizens addressed a written petition entitled ‘Reform of Cypriot law on the criminal role of the 
Attorney  General’  to  the  President  of  the  Republic  and  to  Parliament.  The  petitioners  requested  the 
authorities to submit to judicial review the decisions of the Attorney General regarding the exercise of his 
prosecutorial powers. See, also contribution from Oxygen for Democracy for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, 
p. 13, Written contribution from the Audit Office in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, p.15.  
34   2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, pp. 4, 11 and 12. 

6 

 
 
July  2023,  contributing  to  alleviating  some  of  the  heavy  workload  of  the  Supreme  Court35. 
The  new  rules  on  civil  procedure  also  entered  into  force,  allowing  for  more  flexibility  and 
providing  judges  with  more  powers  to  structure  the  debates  and  avoid  unnecessarily 
postponements  and  delays36.  The  Commercial  and  the  Admiralty  Courts  have  not  started 
functioning,  as  no  judges  have  been  appointed  yet37.  All  stakeholders,  including  judges, 
judicial staff and lawyers, have welcomed the reform, while they agree that it is too early to 
assess its full impact38. Several other reforms, such as the creation of an independent Court 
Service and the revision of the arbitration law in civil and commercial matters, are ongoing; 
however, their implementation pace is rather slow39. 

Efforts  to  improve  the  low  level  of  digitalisation  continue,  while  challenges  persist, 
including  in  the  deployment  of  the  new  electronic  case  management  system.  The  2024 
EU Justice Scoreboard shows improvement in the level of digitalisation of justice in several 
areas,  including  the  use  of  digital  technology  by  courts  and  prosecution40,  the  adoption  of 
procedural rules allowing the use of digital technology in proceedings41 and the availability 
of  secure  electronic  communication  for  courts  and  prosecution  services42.  Furthermore,  the 
use  of  remote  hearings  to  facilitate  children’s  participation  to  proceedings43  and  plans  to 
develop tools for the online publication of judgments44 are positive developments. However, 
criminal  proceedings  continue to  lack any digital solutions45, as well  as  proceedings before 
the  Administrative  Court  of  International  Protection  and  the  Supreme  Constitutional  Court. 
Regarding civil and administrative proceedings, the already delayed deployment of the highly 
anticipated e-justice system46, in January 2024, came with serious stability and functionality 

35   The vast majority of the cases allocated to the Court of Appeal are civil appeals pending before the Supreme 
Court  since  1  January  2018.  2023  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Country  Chapter  on  the  rule  of  law  situation  in 
Cyprus, p. 11.  

36   Rules of Civil Procedure of 2023. The new procedural rules entered into force in September 2023. Among 
the  key  innovations  is  that  the  judges  (and  not,  anymore,  the  parties)  have  the  main  responsibility  for  the 
case  management.  See  for  more  details,  2022  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Country  Chapter  on  the  rule  of  law 
situation in Cyprus, pp. 6-7. Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 20. 

37   According  to  the  Judicial  Service,  the  appointment  of  judges  for  other  courts  had  to  be  prioritized. 
Information received from the Department of Judicial Reform in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 
38   Information received from the Supreme Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the Association of judges, 
the Department of Judicial Reform, the Cyprus Bar Association and the Ministry of Justice in the context of 
the country visit to Cyprus.  

39   For  instance,  the  establishment  of  the  Independent  Court  Service,  responsible  for  the  management  and 
administration of the courts, is still in the planning phase: a task force has been created to present a concrete 
proposal. Information received from the Department of Judicial Reform in the context of the country visit to 
Cyprus. See also, 2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p.8. 

40   2024 EU Justice Scoreboard, Figure 44. 
41   2024 EU Justice Scoreboard, Figure 43. 
42   2024 EU Justice Scoreboard, Figures 45 and 46. 
43   See  also  2024  EU  Justice  Scoreboard,  Figure  31  on  availability  of  child-friendly  hearings.  The  Supreme 
Court is also examining ways to expand the practice and organise remote hearings from prisons. Information 
received from the Department of Judicial Reform and the Supreme Court in the context of the country visit 
to Cyprus. 

44   In  the  framework  of  the  project  Foster  Transparency  of  Judicial  Decisions  and  Enhancing  the  National 
Implementation  of  the  ECHR  (TJENI),  funded  by  the  EEA  and  Norway  Grants  Fund  for  Regional 
Cooperation, the procurement of IT equipment and the development of the IT tool for the publication of law 
journals was completed in April 2024. Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 19. 

45   2024 EU Justice Scoreboard, Figure 48. 
46   The  installation and full operation of the  e-justice  system  was initially foreseen for December 2022 under 
milestone  183  of  Reform  9  (C3.4R9):  Digital  transformation  of  courts  of  the  National  Resilience  and 

7 

 
 
 
issues, creating disruptions, and obliging the courts to return to the old “i-justice” system and 
non-digital  methods  in  order  to  ensure  business  continuity47.  A  new  deployment  of  the  ‘e-
justice’ system is planned for the beginning of 202548.  

Difficulties  to  attract  qualified  candidates  for  judicial  positions  and  the  persistent 
shortage  of  support  staff  could  negatively  affect  the  work  of  the  courts.  Judges  are 
appointed from the body of practising lawyers49. Although Cyprus has the highest number of 
lawyers in proportion to their population in the EU50, the latest calls for judicial appointments 
failed  to  attract  satisfying  numbers  of  qualified  lawyers51.  Difficulties  to  attract  qualified 
judges  have  been  emphasized  by  all  stakeholders,  who  referred  to  challenges  linked  to  the 
working conditions52, heavy workload, and the long promotion path of judges, as well as to 
the high income of private sector lawyers, seen as a competitive disadvantage53. According to 
the  Cyprus  Bar  Association,  incentives  should  be  provided  to  lawyers  to  apply  for  judicial 
positions, including by opening senior judicial appointments to experienced lawyers54. Judges 
pointed to  the need to fill a significant  number of upcoming vacancies and highlighted that 
failure to do so could have a negative impact on the effectiveness of their work55. Regarding 
other court staff, the Supreme Court is in the process of hiring registrars56. However, the lack 
of  secretaries,  stenographers  and  support  staff  remain  a  serious  concern57  together  with  the 
absence of IT staff58. Salaries of public prosecutors59 in the Law Office remain low and they 
criticised the fact that their salaries were not aligned with those of judicial and law officers60.  

Recovery  Plan.  Following  Cyprus’  request,  the  milestone  was  prolonged  to  March  2024.  Annex  to  the 
Council  Implementing  Decision  amending  Implementing Decision  of  28  July  2021  on the  approval  of  the 
assessment of the recovery and resilience plan for Cyprus, pp. 87 and 96. 

47   The collapse of the system generated strong reactions from the Cyprus Bar Association (see press releases of 
16 and 18 January 2024). The Supreme Court issued on 29 January 2024 relevant instructions (Directive on 
the application of the 2024 Rules of procedure  for electronic justice). The authorities undertook to inquire 
into the matter. The Audit Office, that had previously audited aspects of both the i-justice and the e-justice 
projects,  is  also  looking  into  the  matter.  Written  contribution  from  the Audit  Office  in  the  context  of  the 
country visit to Cyprus p. 13. 

48   Written contribution from the Ministry of Justice in the context of the country visit to Cyprus.  
49   Law  on  Courts  14/1960.  The  professional  requirements  in  order  to  be  eligible  for  the  position  of  district 
judge and president of the district court are six and ten years of practice in the legal profession accordingly. 
Contribution from the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 37. 

50   2024 EU Justice Scoreboard, Figure 39.  
51   Contrary  to  calls  for  appointments  in  the  Law  Office,  where  the  number  of  candidates  was  considerably 
much  higher.  Information  received  from  the  Association  of  judges  in  the  context  of  the  country  visit  to 
Cyprus. 

52   2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 10. 
53   Information received from the Supreme Court, the Association of judges, the Department of Reform of the 

Supreme Court and the Cyprus Bar Association in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 

54   Contribution from the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 37. 
55   Information received from the Association of judges in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 
56   Information  received  from  the  Department  of  Reform  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  the  context  of  the  country 

visit to Cyprus. 

57   2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 9. 
58   Contribution from the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 40. 
59   The public prosecutors work for the Law Office and are hierarchically under the law officers. They normally 
appear as prosecuting authority before the district and Assize courts. Contribution from Public Prosecutors 
for the 2024 Rule of Law report, pp.1-2. 

60   The alignment of the salaries of law officers with the salary scales of judicial officers was already provided 
in  the  budget  of  the  Law  Office  for  2020,  also  as  a  response  to  the  GRECO  recommendation  aiming  to 

8 

 
 
 
Plans  for  a  reform  of  legal  aid  scheme  continue  being  discussed.  As  noted  in  the  2023 
Rule of Law Report, a proposal to reform the legal aid scheme put forward by the Ministry of 
Justice  in  2022  received  criticism  from  the  Bar  Association  on  grounds  that  the  proposed 
rotating appointment of lawyers breaches the freedom to choose one’s lawyer61. Consulted on 
the  proposal,  the  Law  Office  considered  that  the  proposed  reform  complies  with  the 
Constitution62.  The  Ministry  of  Justice  intends  to  revise  the  draft  law  to  limit  the  rotating 
appointments  to  criminal  cases  and  cases  of  international  protection,  since,  according  to 
statistical  data,  these  categories  of  cases  are  mostly  concerned  by  abusive  practices63. 
Ongoing discussions also include a proposal aiming to extend the legal aid scheme to victims 
of domestic violence64, and a possible increase of lawyers’ fees under the legal aid scheme65. 
The  Cyprus  Bar  Association  is  running  a  programme  of  pro  bono  legal  assistance  to  low-
income citizens for cases not covered by the legal aid scheme66.  

Efficiency 

Serious  challenges  persist  regarding  the  efficiency  of  justice,  in  particular  for  cases 
before  second  instance  courts.  The  disposition  time  in  civil  and  commercial  cases  at  first 
instance courts significantly decreased from 947 in 2021 to 761 days in 2022, but it remains 
the highest in the EU67. For administrative cases, the disposition time in 2022 dropped from 
844  days  in  2021  (863  days  in  2020)  to  461  days  in  2022,  the  lowest  observed  in  the  last 
twelve  years68.  The  disposition  times  at  second  instance  courts  were  1  736  days  for  civil 
proceedings69 and 2 310 days for administrative70 (3 132 days in 2021), which were by far the 
highest  in  the  EU.  In  2022,  the  clearance  rate  for  civil  and  commercial  cases  increased  to 
101% (from 81% in 2021)71. The clearance rate for administrative cases, which in 2021 was 
exceptionally low (45.9%), increased to 88%, but remains the lowest in the EU72. According 
to  business  associations,  the  length  of  court  proceedings  is  a  major  concern  for  companies 
and investors, as they introduce a high level of uncertainty and unpredictability, which deters 

strengthen the independence of the Prosecution Service. 2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the 
rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 6. 

61   Law  on  Legal Aid  (amendment)  of  2022.  2023  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Country  Chapter  on  the  rule  of  law 

situation in Cyprus, p. 10. 

62   Following  requests  by  the  Parliament,  the  Government  also  sought  comparative  information  through  the 
European Judicial Network as to legal aid schemes in Europe.  Information received from the  Ministry of 
Justice and the Cyprus Bar Association in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 

63   Information received from the Ministry of Justice in the context of the country visit to Cyprus.  
64   Law on Legal Aid (amendment) of 2023, pending before Parliament. 
65   Criminal defence lawyers’ fees under the legal aid scheme in Cyprus are amongst the lower in the EU. 2024 
EU Justice Scoreboard, Figure 26. Contribution from the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe for 
the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 40. 

66   Cyprus Justice Network for All Justice. Information received from the Cyprus Bar Association in the context 

of the country visit to Cyprus. 

67   2024  EU  Justice  Scoreboard,  Figure  5.  See  also,  Figure  16  on  the  average  length  of  judicial  review  in 

competition cases. 

68   2024 EU Justice Scoreboard, Figure 8. 
69   2024 EU Justice Scoreboard, Figure 7. 
70   2024 EU Justice Scoreboard, Figure 9. 
71   2024 EU Justice Scoreboard, Figure 10. 
72   2024 EU Justice Scoreboard, Figure 12. 

9 

 
 
companies  from  relying  on  the  judicial  proceedings  to  resolve  disputes.  This  situation 
adversely impacts the business environment73. 

The  implementation  of  measures  aiming  to  reduce  the  excessive  length  of  proceedings 
continues  at  a  fast  pace.  The  backlog  project,  financed  under  the  EU  Recovery  and 
Resilience Facility,  is  on track and has shown  already positive results. The project  requires 
that specific proportions of backlog cases be cleared within specific timeframes74. According 
to the Department of Reform of the Supreme Court, the targets set in the National Resilience 
and Recovery Plan have already been reached and exceeded75. The Supreme Constitutional 
Court is expected to complete soon the adjudication of all the backlog cases assigned to it and 
has proposed to take over the examination of additional cases assigned to the administrative 
section of the Court of Appeal76. The functioning of the Court of Appeal and the entry into 
force of the new procedural rules is expected to contribute further to reducing the length of 
proceedings,  in  particular  for  cases  at  second  instance77.  Judges  have,  however,  raised 
concerns  as  to  their  ability  to  maintain  this  pace  given  the  difficulties  in  recruiting  new 
judges78.  

II. 

ANTI-CORRUPTION FRAMEWORK  

The  Independent  Authority  against  Corruption  (IAAC)  is  responsible  for  transparency  and 
prevention  of  corruption  in  both  the  public  and  private  sectors,  including  monitoring  the 
implementation  of  the  national  anti-corruption  plan79.  The  Attorney  General  has  overall 
competence  to  prosecute  criminal  offences,  including  corruption,  and  continues  to  provide 
legal  advice  to  law  enforcement  authorities  investigating  corruption  offences.  The  Audit 
General  office  checks  the  expenses  of  public  institutions,  through  which  it  may  detect 

73   Information received from the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB) in the context of the 

country visit to Cyprus. 

74   The  concrete  targets  to  reduce  the  backlog  of  cases  are  included  in  the  National  Resilience  and  Recovery 
Plan: under C3.4R8 Efficiency of Justice: Target 181: Reduction of the backlog of cases and appeals pending 
for over two years before the District Courts and the Supreme Court by 20% from the 31 December 2020 
level, to be completed by July 2024; and Target 182: Reduction of the backlog of cases and appeals pending 
for over two years before the District Courts and the Supreme Court by 40% from the 31 December 2020 
level, to be completed by July 2026. 

75   Information  received  from  the  Department  of  Reform  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  the  context  of  the  country 
visit to Cyprus. In particular, the backlog of civils cases at first instance has been reduced by 53%; in appeal 
by  59%  and  the  backlog  of  appeals  on  grounds  of  law  before  the  Supreme  Court  by  91%.  Written 
contribution by Cyprus.   

76   Information received from the Supreme Constitutional Court in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 
77   In  the  first  six  months  of  its  functioning,  the  Court  of  Appeals  has  issued  139  judgments.  Written 

contribution from the Cyprus Bar Association in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, p.1. 
78   Information received from the Association of Judges in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 
79   The  responsibility  to  ensure  the  implementation,  progress,  management  and  assessment  of  the  National 
Strategy against Corruption was transferred to the IAAC by the Ministry of Justice and Public Order, in the 
second half of 2023. 2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 
13. The mission of the Independent Authority against Corruption (IAAC) is the undertaking of the necessary 
initiatives  and  actions  for  ensuring  the  coherence  and  effectiveness  of  the  actions  of  the  services  of  the 
public sector, the wider public sector and the private sector in matters of prevention and combating of acts of 
corruption,  as  well  as  for  ensuring,  in  the  best  and  most  efficient  manner,  the  implementation,  progress, 
management and assessment of the National Strategy against Corruption. The Authority investigates, on its 
own  motion,  or  upon  submission  of  a  complaint,  any  acts  of  corruption  in  the  public  sector,  in  the  wider 
public sector and in the private sector. 

10 

 
 
suspicions  of  corruption.  Cyprus  is  not  a  signatory  party  to  the  OECD  Anti-Bribery 
Convention yet80. 

The perception among experts and business executives is that the level of corruption in 
the  public  sector  remains  relatively  high.  In  the  2023  Corruption  Perceptions  Index  by 
Transparency International, Cyprus scores 53/100 and ranks 21st in the European Union and 
49th globally81. This perception has deteriorated over the past five years82. The 2024 Special 
Eurobarometer on Corruption shows that 91% of respondents consider corruption widespread 
in  their  country  (EU  average  68%)  and  61%  of  respondents  feel  personally  affected  by 
corruption in their daily lives (EU average 27%)83. As regards businesses, 96% of companies 
consider that corruption is widespread (EU average 65%) and 72% consider that corruption is 
a problem when doing business (EU average 36%)84. Furthermore, 24% of respondents find 
that  there  are  enough  successful  prosecutions  to  deter  people  from  corrupt  practices  (EU 
average  32%)85,  while  10%  of  companies  believe  that  people  and  businesses  caught  for 
bribing a senior official are appropriately punished (EU average 31%)86. 

Some progress was made to increase the resources of the Independent Authority against 
Corruption (IAAC). The 2023 Rule of Law Report recommended to Cyprus to ‘ensure that 
the recently established Independent Authority for Anti-Corruption has the financial, human 
and  technical  resources  to  effectively  perform  its  competences’87.  IAAC  employs  5  legal 
officers (including 4 on a one-year contract), one economist, 8 clerical staff, in addition to its 
five  members88.  Following  an  unsuccessful  call  for  national  inspectors89,  last  year  IAAC 
hired  three  foreign  short-term  inspectors90  to  examine  the  allegations  of  corruption  against 

80   OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, 
Ratification  Status  https://www.oecd.org/daf/anti-bribery/WGBRatificationStatus.pdf.  Cyprus  is  not  a 
member of the OECD. 

81   Transparency International, Corruption Perceptions Index 2023 (2024). The level of perceived corruption is 
categorized  as  follows:  low  (the  perception  among  experts  and  business  executives  of  public  sector 
corruption scores above 79); relatively low (scores between 79-60), relatively high (scores between 59-50), 
high (scores below 50). 

82   In 2019 the score was 58, while, in 2023, the score was 53. The score significantly increases/decreases when 
it  changes  more  than  five  points;  improves/deteriorates  (changes  between  4-5  points);  is  relatively  stable 
(changes from 1-3 points) in the last five years. 

83   Special Eurobarometer 584 on Citizens’ attitudes towards corruption in the EU (2024). The Eurobarometer 
data  on  citizens’  corruption  perception  and  experience  is  updated  every  year.  The  previous  data  set  is  the 
Special Eurobarometer 534 (2023). 

84   Flash Eurobarometer 543 on Businesses’ attitudes towards corruption in the EU (2024). The Eurobarometer 
data on businesses’ attitudes towards corruption as is updated every year. The previous data set is the Flash 
Eurobarometer 524 (2023). 

85  Special Eurobarometer 584 on Citizens’ attitudes towards corruption in the EU (2024).  
86   Flash Eurobarometer 543 on Businesses’ attitudes towards corruption in the EU (2024).  
87   2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 2. 
88   In  addition  to  the  Chief  of  IAAC  (who  is  the  Commissioner  for Transparency)  and  the  4  members  of  the 
Board, as of July 2024 the staff of the IAAC comprises 14 individuals (including 7 on a one-year contract), 
namely:  5  legal  officers  (including  one  seconded  to  the  IAAC  from  the  public  sector),  2  administrative 
officers, 4 clerical officers, 1 temporary economist, as well as 2 ushers.  

89   According  to  the  Press  Release  issued  by  the  IAAC,  national  inspectors  were  unwilling  to  investigate 
allegations  of  corruption  against  high  state  officials.  Independent  Authority  against  Corruption,  Press 
Release of 22 June 2023. 

90   2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 15. Concerning foreign 
investigators,  to  mitigate  possible  concerns  on  its  independence,  IAAC  decided  that  the  panel  issuing  the 
final conclusions must have at least one member internal to IAAC. Information received from the IAAC in 

11 

 
 
 
top  level  officials  (including  one  case  against  the  deputy  Attorney  General  and  a  police 
officer91, and one against the former President)92. According to international standards, anti-
corruption  agencies  shall  be  entitled  to  adequate  resources  for  the  fulfilment  of  their 
mandate93.  Since  its  establishment  in  2022,  IAAC  has  received  more  than  209  complaints 
(including  some  related  to  the  former  President,  Ministers,  or  representatives  of  local 
authorities),  and  it  has  concluded  4  examinations,  while  others  remain  pending94.  In  May 
2024,  the  IAAC  expressed  concern  over  the  Attorney  General  Office’s  decision  not  to 
prosecute a police officer who refused to testify and reply to IAAC questions, since this type 
of refusals, IAAC says, would negatively impact the effectiveness of its examinations95. For 
2024,  IAAC  received  a  substantially  increased  budget  of  EUR  2.092  million  (+73% 
compared  to  2023)96,  in  addition  to  seven  junior  and  short-term  officials  (expected  to  join 

the context of the country visit to Cyprus.  Concerning all inspection officers, regulations 11 and 12 on the 
operation of IAAC (secondary legislation 483/2022) provide that: ‘(11) Upon conclusion of the investigation 
the  Investigator shall draft and submit to the Authority a report accompanied by all relevant evidence and 
documents; (12) The Authority shall convene a meeting with the purpose of examining the report submitted 
in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  paragraph  11  and  shall  resolve  on  it  while  justifying  its  decision: 
Provided that, the Authority may request clarifications on the  content of the report and may refer it to the 
Investigator with the purpose of further completion thereof with the new evidence which was requested by 
the Authority’. Written contribution from the IAAC in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. According 
to  the Article  6  (on  Preventive  anti-corruption  body  or  bodies)  of  the  UN  Convention Against  Corruption 
(ratified by Cyprus in 2009) ‘(…) specialized staff (…) to carry out their functions, should be provided’ by 
States  to  anti-corruption  agencies.  Similarly,  according  to  international  standards,  anti-corruption  agencies 
‘shall  be  entitled  to  timely, planned,  reliable  and  adequate resources  for  the  gradual  capacity  development 
and  improvement  of  the  agency’s  operations  and  fulfilment  of  its  mandate’.  UNDP/UNODC  supported 
Jakarta Statement on Principles for Anti-Corruption Agencies (2012), and its Colombo commentary (2020). 
91   While the IAAC found no elements of corruption against the Deputy Attorney General, The IAAC considers 
that by refusing to answer all questions submitted to him, the police officer may have committed an offence 
in violation of Article 8(b) of Law 19(I)/2022. The Authority therefore forwarded all relevant documents to 
the Attorney General office with the recommendation for criminal prosecution of the  police officer. The 29 
December  2023,  the  decision  was  published  on  the  webpage  of  the  IAAC.  This  case  is  a  point  of  close 
attention for CSOs. Input from the Oxygen for Democracy for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 21. 

92   In  February  2024,  IAAC  appointed  an  international  expert  on  criminal  law  (from  Australia)  to  lead  the 
examination of the allegations of corruption against the former President (Philenews, 20 February 2024, and 
Cyprus Mail, 19 February 2024). The IAAC’s policy remains to appoint inspection officers from Cyprus, in 
all cases where there are no objective difficulties. Written contribution from the IAAC in the context of the 
country visit to Cyprus. 

93   The  UN  Convention  against  corruption  (UNCAC)  at  Article  6(2)  indicates  that  ‘The  necessary  material 
resources and specialized staff, as well as the training that such staff may require to carry out their functions, 
should  be  provided’.  According  to  international  standards,  anti-corruption  agencies  ‘shall  be  entitled  to 
timely, planned, reliable and adequate resources for the gradual capacity development and improvement of 
the  agency’s  operations  and  fulfilment  of  its  mandate’.  UNDP/UNODC  supported  Jakarta  Statement  on 
Principles for Anti-Corruption Agencies (2012), and its Colombo commentary (2020). 

94   As  of  July  2024,  4  investigations  remained  open,  and  22  complaints  were  under  preliminary  assessment 
(according to Article 9 of the Law 19(I)/2022). Written contribution received from the IAAC in the context 
of the country visit to Cyprus. 

95   The Attorney General considered that the police officer, who was called to testify as a witness in the  IAAC 
examination into the allegations of corruption moved against the deputy Attorney General, had the right to 
remain  silent.  The  IAAC  considers  that  under  its  legal  framework,  individuals  have  an  obligation  to 
cooperate with the Authority and reply to all questions, unless their right not to self-incrimination could be 
compromised. IAAC Press Release and Cyprus Mail (15 May 2024).   

96   For 2024, the IAAC allocated EUR 3.000 for staff training; EUR 97.000 for participation in conferences and 
seminars; and almost EUR 1.2 million for the procurement of external inspection experts. Input from Cyprus 
for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 24. 

12 

 
 
during  2024)97.  According  to  the  IAAC,  this  is  expected  to  improve  its  effectiveness98.  In 
2023,  IAAC  adopted  regulations  for  its  internal  operations99,  developed  relations  with  its 
institutional  counterparts,  and  organised  awareness  and  training  events100.  While  financial 
resources  attributed  to  IAAC  have  considerably  increased,  a  lack  of  sufficient  human 
resources  has  had  an  effect  on  the  agency’s  effectiveness.  There  has  therefore  been  some 
progress  on  the  implementation  of  the  recommendation  made  in  the  2023  Rule  of  Law 
Report. 

Some  steps  were  taken  to  accelerate  the  delayed  monitoring  of  the  implementation  of 
the  National  Strategy  Against  Corruption.  In  accordance  with  the  law  establishing  the 
IAAC101, in July 2023 the monitoring on the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption 
Strategy was transferred from the Ministry of Justice Office on Transparency to the IAAC102. 
The  transfer  of  this  task  to  the  IAAC  resulted  in  some  delays  in  the  monitoring  of  the 
implementation of the National Strategy Against Corruption, namely due to lack of available 
resources. According to the IAAC103, the delays are expected to be solved by the increased of 
its resources, including the additional staff of 2024104. In 2023, IAAC also organised a range 
of activities for discussing potentials for cooperation in the framework of its preventative role 
and the National Strategy Against Corruption105. Moreover, the rotation programme of public 
servants, aimed at preventing corruptive activities, continued to take place106.  

The  limited  access  to  relevant  information  affects  the  ability  of  the  Audit  Office  to 
effectively  perform  audits  on  the  finance  of  public  institutions.  By  law,  the  Audit 
Office107  has  unrestricted  access  to  the  information  it  deems  relevant  to  audit  public 
entities108.  However,  the  Audit  Office  reports  that  some  public  authorities  under  audit, 
including  the police in  some cases, do not  provide  relevant  information  following the legal 
advice of the Attorney General109. Consequently, the effectiveness and accuracy of the audits 

97   IAAC hired 2 junior public officials and 5 professionals from the private sector (4 lawyers and 1 official for 
administrative support), all on a one-year term contract. Written contribution from the IAAC in the context 
of the country visit to Cyprus, p. 1. 2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in 
Cyprus, p. 13. 

98   Information received from the IAAC in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 
99   The  regulations  concern  the  way  IAAC  conducts  operations.  Written  contribution  from  the  IAAC  in  the 

context of the country visit to Cyprus, p. 2. 

100  For  example,  in 2023  public awareness  activities  were  carried  out  by  the  Commissioner  for  Transparency 
through  national  media,  trainings  and  speeches  on  implementation  of  the  law  on  lobbying,  anticorruption 
training for the staff of the Presidency. Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, pp. 28-29, and 
written contribution from the IAAC in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 

101  Law 19(1)2022 of 17 February 2022. 
102  Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 28. 
103  Information received from the IAAC in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 
104  Written contribution from the IAAC in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, p. 4. 
105  Written contribution from the IAAC in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, p. 4. 
106  Written contribution from the Ministry of Finance in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, p. 1. 
107  The Audit Office of the Republic is an independent body competent to conduct audits in the public sector, 
for purposes of public reporting, optimal management of public resources and the fight against corruption 
and  interference.  The  Auditor-General  heads  the  Audit  Office  and  is  appointed  by  the  President  of  the 
Republic, as per Articles 115, 116 and 117 of the Constitution of Cyprus.  

108  As per the law on Submission of Data and Information to the Auditor General of the Republic (law 113(I) of 

2002).  

109  There seems to be a conflict in the interpretation and application of the relevant laws. While the Audit Office 
considers having, by law, full access to all documentation under audit, the Law Office considers that public 

13 

 
 
 
risk  being  undermined110.  The  Audit  Office  considers  that  the  non-disclosure  of  relevant 
information by public institutions is becoming a trend111. In April 2024, the Attorney General 
requested  to  the  Supreme  Judicial  Council  the  removal  for  misconduct  of  the  Auditor 
General112, which is perceived by the latter as direct threat to its institutional independence113. 
Additionally, suspicions of corruption were detected during some audits performed last year 
by  the  Audit  Office,  which  were  then  forwarded  to  the  relevant  authorities  for  further 
consideration and possible investigation114. For the audits where public institutions disclosed 
complete  information,  only  a  small  number  of  the  recommendations  issued  by  the  Audit 
Office were fully implemented in a timely manner by the audited authorities115.  

The audits on funding of political candidates and parties pointed at some flaws, and the 
proposal to amend the law on the financing political parties has not yet been adopted. 
The  Audit  Office  also  checks  the  financial  books,  including  for  election  campaigns116.  Its 
report from last year on political candidates and parties pointed at substantial legislative and 

authorities  have  the  right  retain  information  and  documentation  considered  sensitive  and  confidential. 
Information received from the Audit Office and the Law Office in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 
110  Without  challenging  the  legal  right  of  the Audit  Office  to  perform  the  audit,  the  fact  that  part  of  relevant 
information is not shared with the auditors, affects the accuracy and effectiveness of the auditing, and may 
ultimately  undermine  the  independence  of  the  Audit  Office.    International  standards  on  the  independent 
Supreme  Audit  Institutions  (SAIs)  indicate  that  ‘Unrestricted  access  to  information:  SAIs  should  have 
adequate  powers  to  obtain  timely,  unfettered,  direct,  and  free  access  to  all  the  necessary  documents  and 
information,  for  the  proper  discharge  of  their  statutory  responsibilities’  (as  per  principle  4  of  the  2019 
Mexico  declaration  of  the  International  Organization  of  Supreme Audit  Institutions  –  INTOSAI),  and  that 
‘(…)  adequate  legal  protection  by  a  supreme  court  against  any  interference  with  a  Supreme  Audit 
Institution’s  independence  and  audit  mandate  shall  be  guaranteed’  (as  per  section  5.3  of  the  1977  Lima 
Declaration  of  the  INTOSAI).  In  2023,  the Audit  Office  filed  a  motion  to  the  Supreme Audit  Institutions 
Independence  Rapid  Advocacy  Mechanism  (SIRAM)  of  the  INTOSAI,  which  is  expected  to  render  a 
resolution in 2024. Written contribution from the Audit Office in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, 
p. 3. 

111  Written contribution from the Audit Office in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, p. 7. On this matter, 
in  February  2021  the  International  Organization  of  Supreme  Audit  Institutions  (INTOSAI)  issued  a 
‘Statement  by  the  INTOSAI  development  initiative  following  the  potential  independence  challenges  faced 
by the Audit Office of the republic of Cyprus’, in addition to the EU Contact Committee statement of May 
2021 (CC 1/2021) in support of the constitutional role, mandate and independence of the Audit Office of the 
Republic of Cyprus. 

112  According to the Constitution, the Auditor General shall not be removed from office except on grounds of 

misconduct and by a decision of the Judicial Council (Articles 115 para 3 and 153 para 7). 

113  Audit  Office  (2024),  The  Deputy  Attorney  General  announces  a  petition  to  the  Supreme  Court  for  the 
dismissal of the Auditor General, Press release of 21 April 2024. Written contribution from the Audit Office 
in  the  context  of  the  country  visit  to  Cyprus.  International  standards  on  the  independent  Supreme  Audit 
Institutions  (SAIs)  support  ‘The  independence  of  SAI  heads  and  members  (of  collegial  institutions), 
including security of tenure and legal immunity in the normal discharge of their duties’ (as per principle 2 of 
the 2019 Mexico declaration of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions – INTOSAI). 
114  Some of the audit reports point at the nexus between Cyprus operating corporations and non-EU oligarchs 
based in countries to which EU sanctions regimes are applicable. Written contribution from the Audit Office 
in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, p. 12. 

115  Written contribution from the Audit Office in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, p. 11. 
116  In  accordance  with  the  Political  Parties  Law  n.175(I)  of  2012  (and  revised  2015),  the  financial  books  of 
political  parties,  also  for  national  and  presidential  electoral  campaigns  (including  value  and  source  of 
donations) are subject to the annual checks by the Audit Office, which publishes reports. Sanctions exist for 
candidates omitting to file election statements. See also the GRECO Third Evaluation Round Addendum to 
the Second Compliance Report on Cyprus, on Transparency of Party Funding, adopted in March 2018. 

14 

 
 
practical  flaws117,  including  on  the  expenses  of  the  2023  presidential  campaign118.  The 
proposal to amend the law on financing political parties presented in 2022, aimed to prohibit 
certain  contributions  from  legal  and  natural  persons,  remains  pending  at  the  Parliament  for 
approval119.  

While there are some improvements in the staffing and performance of the authorities 
investigating corruption, few cases advanced including of high-level corruption, and the 
number  of  convictions  remained  limited.  In  2023,  the  Anti-Corruption  Taskforce  (under 
the remit of the Attorney General) developed a database to keep track of corruption cases120 
and  prosecutors  attended  a  training  on  asset  recovery121.  Moreover,  additional  investigators 
joined the Financial Crime Investigation Office of the Police122, who plans to hire additional 
investigators  in  2024123.  The  EPPO  investigated  1 corruption  case  in  2023,  which  accounts 
for  around  11%  of  the  total  number  of  EPPO  cases  (in  Cyprus)124.  EPPO  considers  that 
cooperation  with  the  national  authorities  would  benefit  from  more  stable  and  better  trained 
resources  devoted  to  EU  financial  interest  investigations125.  Last  year,  some  pending 
investigations  progressed126,  5  new  corruption  investigations  were  opened  (including  2 
against  elected  officials),  and  3  individuals  were  convicted  for  corruption  (compared  to  1 

117  The  Audit  Office  indicates  that  the  legislation  does  not  require  former  political  parties  to  disclose  their 
finances;  it  is  unclear  who,  within  the  political  party,  is  in  charge  to  disclose  documentation  to  auditors; 
President  and  vice-President  are  not  bound  to  disclose  income  earned  prior  to  the  election  day.  The  audit 
reports on the elections of 2021 and 2023 show some practical shortcomings, such as: candidates exceeded 
spending  limits;  some  expenses  were  made  by  third  parties;  few  candidates/political  parties  failed  to  file 
complete  financial  statements  or  evidence;  some  advertising  entities  failed  to  report  services  provided  to 
candidates;  political  parties  misused  public  funding.  Written  contribution  from  the  Audit  Office  in  the 
context of the country visit to Cyprus, p. 14. These concerns are reflected by CSOs, as per input from the 
Oxygen for Democracy for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 19. 

118  According to the Special report issued by the Audit Office in January 2024, and published on its webpage, 
the  Presidential  campaign  financial  records  showed  some  flaws  concerning  the  expenses  incurred by  third 
parties;  payment  in  cash  above  the  threshold;  and  the  spending  above  the  limits.  This  concern  was  also 
indicated by some media outlets: among others, the EU Philenews and Cyprus Mail (January 2024). 

119  The proposal to amend the law 175(I)/2012 aims to prohibit the contributions from legal and natural persons 
to  political  parties,  apart  from  regular  contributions  from  their  members. The  proposal  is  at  a  preliminary 
stage and its goal is to ensure greater transparency in the financing of political parties. Written contribution 
from the Ministry of Justice in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, p. 6. 

120  Written contribution from the Audit Office in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, p. 11. 
121  Written contribution from the Audit Office in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, p. 12. 
122  The Police now relies on 29 specialised officers in total (i.e., 24 specialized investigators and 5 accountants, 
divided between the Financial Crime Branch, and the Financial Investigations Branch. Input from Cyprus for 
the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 26. 

123  An internal call for secondment was launched by the Police in January 2024, aimed at acquiring additional 
officials. Information received from the Police in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. See above Pillar 
I, p. 10. According to Article 36 of the UNCAC, the staff dedicated to combat corruption ‘should have the 
appropriate (…) resources to carry out their tasks’, and ‘States Parties may also wish to pay attention to the 
remuneration  system  applicable  to  specialized  authorities  to  ensure  recruitment  and  retention  of  the  best 
available  expertise’  and  ‘suitable  financial  resources  and  remuneration  for  staff’  is  part  of  their 
independence’ (Technical Guide to the UNCAC, by the UNODC and UNICRI of 2009). 

124  EPPO (2024) Annual Report 2023, p. 23. 
125  Written contribution received by the EPPO for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, Annex, p. 16. 
126  Six  cases  remain  under  investigation  by  the  police;  1  case  was  brought  to  court,  which  ended  with  2 
convictions; and 4 cases were forwarded to the Attorney General  – 1 case was closed for lack of evidence, 
and 2 cases remain pending at the Law  Office. Information received from the Police in the context of the 
country visit to Cyprus. 

15 

 
 
person in the previous year)127. The allegations expressed in the media of corruption linked to 
illicit  funds  deposited  in  Cyprus  to  avoid  the  international  sanction  regimes128  are  under 
examination by the Police and the Attorney General129. Following the suspension in practice 
of the Investor Citizenship Scheme130, more than 15 prosecutions for corruption linked to this 
scheme  were  initiated  by  the  Attorney  General131.  Despite  these  improvements,  tangible 
results on the adjudication of high-level cases of corruption are still missing.  

Significant progress was made on the asset declaration system for elected officials since 
new  legislation  was  adopted,  while  it  remains  to  enter  into  force  and  be  effectively 
implemented. The 2023 Rule of Law Report recommended to Cyprus to “introduce rules on 
asset disclosure for elected officials to establish regular and comprehensive filing, combined 
with  effective,  regular  and  full  verifications”132.  As  noted  in  the  2023  Report,  few  high-
ranking  officials133  and  a  limited  number  of  elected  persons  (such  as  members  of  the 
Parliament and the President of the Republic)134 are bound to regularly declare only part of 
their  own  properties135,  while  other  types  of  civil  servants  should  declare  changes  in  their 
personal  assets136.  The  Specialist  Parliamentary  Committee,  which  is  responsible  for 
monitoring the declarations from elected officials, reports that no violations occurred in 2023. 
The Asset Declaration Council, which is responsible for monitoring declarations from about 

127  The convictions relate to procedures opened in 2021 and 2022. Written contribution from the Audit Office in 

the context of the country visit to Cyprus, p. 11. 

128  International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Cyprus ignores Russian atrocities, Western sanctions 
to  shield  vast  wealth  of  Putin  allies,  14  November  2023;  EURACTIV,  Cyprus  pledges  to  probe  Russia 
sanction  busting  allegations,  15  November  2023;  Le  Monde,  How  dirty  money  and  Russian  riches  flow 
through Cyprus, a gateway to the EU, 14 November 2023. 

129  The  Law  Office,  police  and  investigators  are  meeting  regularly  on  this  topic.  The  Office  remains  in 
communication  with  investigative  counterparts  from  the  EUROPOL  and  the  US  Department  of  Justice,  in 
consideration of enhancing collaboration into cross-country financial investigations, including on corruption. 
Information  received  from  the  Law  Office  in  the  context  of  the  country  visit  to  Cyprus.  Two  special 
interinstitutional committees were created to prevent the possible circumvention of sanction regimes. Written 
contribution from the Audit Office in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, p. 16. 

130  The scheme’s legal framework has not been abolished yet. The infringement procedure launched in October 
2020 concerning Cyprus’ scheme is ongoing. See also, 2023 Rule of Law  Report,  Country Chapter on the 
rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 17. 

131  More  precisely:  3  cases  were  brought  to  court  and  are  pending;  2  prosecutions  (including  on  high  ranked 
officials), were completed with request to open trial; and one case  was concluded with acquittal by a first 
instance  court  (against  which  the Attorney  General  filed  an  appeal).  Written  contribution  from  the Audit 
Office  in  the  context  of  the  country  visit  to  Cyprus,  pp. 18  and  2,  in  addition  to  the  information  received 
from the Law Office in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 

132  In the 2023 Rule of Law Report, the Commission concluded that no progress was made on introducing rules 
on  asset  disclosure  for  elected  officials  to  establish  regular  and  comprehensive  filing,  combined  with 
effective, regular and full verifications. 2022 and 2023 Rule of Law Reports, Country Chapter on the rule of 
law situation in Cyprus, p. 2. 

133  As per Law 50(I) of 2004, high-ranking officials include Director Generals of the Parliament, the Ministries, 
the  Accountant  General  and  the  Deputy  Accountant  General,  as  well  as  the  Secretary  of  the  Council  of 
Ministers,  whereas  the  top  officials  of  the  Law  Office,  the  Attorney  General  and  the  Deputy  Attorney 
General were not bound to declare their asset. 2022 and 2023 Rule of Law Reports, Country Chapter on the 
rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 16. 

134  As per Law (49 (I) of 2004. 
135  The existing asset declaration requirement for members of the Parliament does not cover all forms of assets 

above a certain threshold, including immovable property. 

136  According to the Law  on Public Service  1 of 1990 (Article 66), public servants shall submit a declaration 
regarding any changes in their personal assets, including their spouse and family dependents. The inaccuracy 
in declaring is subject to disciplinary measures. 

16 

 
 
1 000 high-ranking officials reports full compliance for 2023, and 350 cases of delay in filing 
declarations  for  2022137.  There  is  still  no  data  available  on  the  asset  declarations  filed  by 
other civil servants138. After parliamentary discussions on amendments to digitalise the filing 
and  verification  of  asset  declarations  and  establish  a  longer  list  of  declarants  and  assets  to 
declare139, new legislation was adopted in July 2024 and will enter into force in September 
2024140.  In  July  2023,  the  judiciary  introduced  its  own  regulatory  framework  on  asset 
disclosure141, and since November 2023 all judges file their asset declarations to the office of 
the President of the Constitutional Court142. While new measures on the material and personal 
scope  of  the  asset  declarations,  as  well  as  their  verification,  were  adopted  in  July  2024  in 
response to the concerns raised in the previous Rule of Law reports143, the entry into force of 
the  legislation  is  foreseen  for  September  2024,  and  its  proper  implementation  for  the 
effective, regular and  full verifications  remains  to  be seen. Thus, there has been  significant 
progress on the recommendations made in the previous years.   

Lobbying  measures  started  to  be  implemented,  and  rules  on  conflicts  of  interest  for 
members of Parliament continue to be monitored. Since November 2023, ‘lobbyists’ can 
register on the lobbying registry held by IAAC144, since March 2024 the lobbying legislation 
came into full  force  and  ‘lobbying activities’ shall be filed too145, and in  April 2024  IAAC 
issued  guidelines  and  circulars  for  the  lobbyists  and  officials  as  to  implement  lobbying 
measures146.  In  2023,  the  parliamentary  Special  Committee  on  Ethics  which  monitors  the 

137  For the delays of 2022, fines between EUR 200 and 1.000 were issued, plus a penalty of EUR 5-10 per day 
of  further  delay.  Written  contribution  from  the  Ministry  of  Justice  in  the  context  of  the  country  visit  to 
Cyprus, p. 4. 

138 The absence of data also concerns the sanctions issued for the violations encountered. 
139  The amendments to the two laws on asset declarations (namely Law 49(I) and law 50(I) of 2004) included 
the following elements: declarations will be filed electronically (the e-portal is expected to be interconnected 
with other relevant governmental databases); Sanctions for omitted or inaccurate declarations; Verification 
performed by the Tax Authority; Extension of the scope of the declaration, to include a) senior advisers b) 
dependent family members and c) all properties (including movable assets). Written contributions from the 
Parliament  and  the  Ministry  of  Justice  in  the  context  of  the  country  visit  to  Cyprus,  pp.  2-3  and  3, 
respectively. Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 24.  

140 Written contribution from the Ministry of Justice in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 
141  The judiciary opted for self-regulation. The Supreme Constitutional and Supreme Courts issued the Common 
Regulation on Asset Declaration and Control of 2023. According to the new rules, all judges need to submit 
a  detailed  declaration  encompassing  income,  immovable  and  movable  property,  company  shares,  savings, 
income from capital, insurance and debts, including for spouses and underage children. Declarations need to 
be  amended  only  in  case  of  changes  in  assets  and  liabilities.  The  declarations  are  not  published,  as  the 
judiciary considers that such disclosure would not serve transparency, but rather pose risks to the integrity 
and dignity of judges. 

142  The President and judges of the Supreme Constitutional Court submit their declarations to the President of 

the Supreme Court.  

143  2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, pp. 

8, 9, 10 and 15, respectively. 

144  Following a public awareness event organised by IAAC in December 2023, IAAC received and responded to 
about 40 clarification requests and 13 lobbyists filed their registration (6 requests were approved, and 7 are 
pending). Applications  will  be  examined  and,  if  approved,  persons  or  legal entities  will  be  registered,  and 
will sign the code of conduct. Information is available on the IAAC website (www.iaac.org.cy), including an 
explanatory note, and forms. Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 32. 

145  Lobbying  activities  must  be  declared  by both  the  lobbyists  and  public  officials  meeting  lobbyists. Written 

contribution from the IAAC in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, p. 3. 

146  The  guidelines  are  published  on  the  website  of  IAAC.  The  first  circular  was  issued  and  published  on  the 
website on the 7 February 2024. Written contribution from the IAAC in the context of the country visit to 
Cyprus. 

17 

 
 
implementation of the code of conduct of Members of Parliament and Ministers147, examined 
three  cases  on  ethical  conduct,  which  were  declared  inadmissible148.  When  it  comes  to  the 
public service, some rules on conflicts of interest exist in different sectoral laws, but there is 
no initiative planned towards a comprehensive regulation on conflict of interest for all State 
officials149. There is no information concerning the implementation of the existing measures 
on conflict of interests for public officials (i.e., number of declarations filed or examined, nor 
any type of violation found)150. The non-binding guide of conduct for civil servants (of 2013) 
is under review by an inter-institutional group, in light of the laws on transparency and anti-
corruption that were adopted in recent years151.  

Integrity  rules  for  top  level  executive  functions  are  under  discussion,  and  no  changes 
are foreseen for Members of Parliament. In 2023, some concerns remained about some of 
the  integrity  measures  applicable  to  the  persons  performing  top  executive  functions152, 
including  the  President  of  the  Republic  and  Ministers153.  In  2023,  the  application  of  the  so 
called  ‘revolving  doors’  measures  was  extended  to  cover  more  types  of  government 
officials154.  The  Government  indicated  that,  while  there  is  no  plan  to  review  measures 
applicable to Members of Parliament, an inter-service group was created to discuss a bill for 
the implementation of the recommendations for top executive functions, which is expected to 

147  CSOs raised concerns on the delay taken to fully implement lobbying measures, in addition to the mildness 
of sanctions foreseen by the code of conduct for senior officials, including Ministers and MPs. The sanctions 
for breaking the code of conduct for MPs go from a verbal reprimand to a demand for a public apology, plus 
reparation of the offended party (as per code of conduct for MPs, section V, Article 15, page 6). Input from 
the Oxygen for Democracy for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, pp. 18-19.  

148  There  was  no  examination  of  cases  of  conflicts  of  interest  (compared  to  3  cases  in  2022).  Written 
contribution  from  the  Parliament  in  the  context  of  the  country  visit  to  Cyprus,  p.  3.  So  far,  the  Special 
Committee  on  Ethics  of  the  Parliament,  which  is  composed  by  MPs  appointed  by  political  affiliation,  not 
based  on  specific  expertise  on  ethics,  issued  only  one  one  oral  reprimand  (in  2021).  Information  received 
from the Parliament in the context of the country visit to Cyprus.  

149  Written contribution from the Parliament in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, p. 3. CSOs indicate 
the non-binding nature of the code of conduct for public officials. Input from the Oxygen for Democracy for 
the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 20. 

150  Information received from the Ministry of Justice in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 
151  The  Ministry  of  Finance,  Ombudsperson,  and  the  Law  Office  are  reviewing  the  guide  on  ethics  that  was 
issued in 2013 by the Public Administration and Personnel Department and the Ombudsperson’s Office, in 
consideration of the laws on the creation of the IAAC, on lobbying and on whistleblowers protection, among 
others. Information received from the Ministry of Finance in the context of the country visit to Cyprus.  
152  Recommendations  concern  rules  of  conducts,  conflicts  of  interests,  verification  of  financial  disclosures152, 
integrity checks, risk assessment, code of conduct, awareness raising, access to information, interaction with 
lobbyists,  post-employment  regime,  with  appropriate  resources  allocated  to  the  Independent  Authority 
against  Corruption.  GRECO  (2023)  Fifth  Evaluation  Round  Evaluation  Report  on  Cyprus,  pp.  65-66.  The 
verification  of  asset  declarations  is  a  point  of  concern  for  civil  society.  Input  from  the  Oxygen  for 
Democracy for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 16. 

153  According to GRECO, persons with top executive functions (PTEFs) includes: the President,  ministers and 
deputy ministers, the Secretary of the Council of Ministers, commissioners, government spokespersons and 
deputy spokespersons, director of the Office of the President, director of the Press Office of the President, 
advisors to the President and individual consultants and associates, who are hired at the discretion of central 
government to give advice. GRECO (2023) Fifth Evaluation Round Evaluation Report on Cyprus, p. 15. 
154  The Law regulating employment to private sector by former government officials and certain former officers 
of the Public and Wider Public Sector (114(I)/2007), was extended to include Judges, the Attorney and the 
Deputy  Attorney  General,  the  Chief  and  the  Deputy  Chief  of  the  National  Guard,  the  Chief  of  the  Fire 
Service,  and  the  members  of  the  Fire  Service,  the  Security  Services  and  the  Armed  Forces.  Input  from 
Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 30. 

18 

 
 
be approved by the Parliament in 2024155. As regards the integrity measures applicable to the 
Members  of  Parliament,  there  are  concerns  as  regards  the  strength  of  rules  for  the 
transparency  of  their  remuneration  and  acceptance  of  gifts,  the  code  of  conduct,  asset 
declarations and verifications, as well as on conflicts of interests156. 

While  integrity  measures  exist  for  police  officers  and  judges,  and  new  tools  were 
developed, some concerns were raised about the oversight and accountability system of 
the national police. In 2023, the national police developed internal and external channels for 
submitting and following up on reports, under the competence of the Professional Standards 
and Inspection Directorate (PSID), which is responsible for ensuring the professional conduct 
of  police  officers157.  The  Police  Internal  Affairs  Service  (PIAS)  received  95  reports  with 
allegations of misconduct of police officers (same as in 2022), examined 16 cases (compared 
to  22  in  2022)  none  revealing  corruption,  and  8  cases  remain  pending  for  further 
investigation158.  In  2023,  some  concerns  were  raised  about  the  robustness  of  oversight  and 
accountability mechanism of the police159. Newly recruited judges receive training on judicial 
ethics provided by the academy of judiciary160.  

Structures  and  guidelines  have  been  developed  to  handle  whistleblowing  reports.  Last 
year,  the  Ministry  of  Justice  published  on  its  website  the  list  of  authorities  competent  to 

155  The inter-service group is composed by the Ministry of Justice, the Presidency of the State, the Head of the 
Cypriot  delegation  to  GRECO  and  the  IAAC.  Information  received  from  the  Ministry  of  Justice  in  the 
context of the country visit to Cyprus.  

156  GRECO recommended to clearly regulate all forms of remuneration for MPs; to adopt a code of conduct for 
MPs;  to  regulate  acceptance by  MPs  of  gifts,  hospitality  and  other  benefits,  including  appropriate  internal 
procedures; to improve asset declaration system as to ensure completeness of assets declared (including of 
spoused  and  dependent  family  members),  and  prompt  publication  of  the  declarations;  to  subject  assets 
declaration to independent and effective verification mechanism; to develop initiatives to prevent conflicts of 
interest,  with  awareness  raising,  informative  material  and  regular  training,  as  well  as  confidential 
counselling. GRECO (2024), Fourth Evaluation Round Second Addendum to the Second Compliance Report 
on Cyprus. While the adoption of the Second Addendum to the Second Compliance Report terminates the 
GRECO Fourth-Round compliance procedure in respect of Cyprus, the authorities of Cyprus may wish to 
inform  GRECO  of  further  developments  with  regard  to  the  implementation  of  the  outstanding 
recommendations. Asset  declarations  and  verifications  is  a  point  of  concern  for  civil  society.  Contribution 
from Oxygen for Democracy for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 19. 

157  The Director of PISD is administratively subordinated to the Deputy Chief of Police, and it is responsible to 
ensure  professional  standards  of  police  officers  (also  through  ex  officio  inspections,  and  the  evaluation  of 
their  external  activities).  Input  from  Cyprus  for  the  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report,  p.  41.  In  2023  PSID 
investigated 27 cases and checked 23 Police Stations. Written contribution from the Police in the context of 
the country visit to Cyprus, p. 1. 

158  Written contribution from the Police in the context of the country visit to Cyprus.  
159  In  its  report  of  October  2023,  GRECO  recommended  to  adopt  an  integrity  policy,  with  both  in-service 
training on anticorruption, and confidential advice on ethics for the police, in addition to stronger procedures 
to  vet,  select,  appoint  and  dismiss  officers,  including  the  top  management,  as  the  Chief  and  the  Deputy 
Chief, and obligation to declare finances based on risks. GRECO (2023) Fifth Evaluation Round Evaluation 
Report on Cyprus, pp. 66-67. GRECO also recommended to consider centralising the lodging of complaints, 
with  clear  guidelines;  strengthening  whistleblower  protection,  including  through  dedicated  reporting  and 
advisory channels, accompanied by training for all police  ranks and regular information on available legal 
remedies, and establishing a process that ensures that cases are decided in a timely and consistent manner 
and that misconduct is effectively punished. Cyprus will have to submit a report on the measures taken to 
implement  the  recommendations  for  the  top  executive  functions  and  the  police  by  31  December  2024. 
GRECO (2023) Fifth Evaluation Round, Evaluation Report on Cyprus, para 264. 

160  2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 17. 

19 

 
 
receive  whistleblowing  reports161,  and  developed  a  form  and  guidelines  for  the  competent 
authorities on how to handle whistleblowing complaints162. In 2023, the Cyprus Academy of 
Public  Administration  designed  an  e-course  for  public  servants  on  fighting  corruption  and 
whistleblowing  protection163.  Since  the  entry  into  force  of  the  law  on  the  protection  of 
whistleblowers in February 2022, the competent authorities received 12 external reports164. 

Specific  initiatives  have  been  taken  to  counter  the  high  risks  of  corruption  in  public 
procurement  and  local  administrations.  In  December  2023,  the  Council  of  Ministers 
adopted a set of guidelines to oversee the implementation of projects related to the national 
Recovery  and  Resilience  Plan  (RRP),  including  a  measure  to  strengthen  the  verification  of 
public procurement against corruption165. Businesses’ attitudes towards corruption in the EU 
show  that  61%  of  companies  in  Cyprus  (EU  average  27%)  think  that  corruption  has 
prevented them from winning a public tender or a public procurement contract in practice in 
the  last  three  years166..  The  Ministry  of  Justice  and  Public  Order  is  promoting  an  incentive 
scheme for the implementation of the international standard against bribery and corruption in 
the private and public sectors, including local administrations167. 

III.  MEDIA PLURALISM AND MEDIA FREEDOM 

Freedom of expression and the right of access to information find legal and formal protection 
in the Constitution168. Legislation expressly ensures protection of journalistic sources, fosters 
media pluralism in the radio and television sector, enshrines the formal independence of the 
media regulator and details the right of access to public sector information. The Law on the 
Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) lays down rules on the governance and financing 
of public service television and radio169. 

161  Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 35. 
162  Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 35. 
163  The  course  includes  elements  of  risks  related  to  corruption,  institutional  framework  for  dealing  with 
corruption  at  the  international  and  national  level;  links  between  corruption  and  professional  integrity; 
standard procedures to mitigate corruption; as well as the legislation on whistleblowers protection (such as 
the  Directive  2019/1937/EU  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  23  October  2019  on  the 
protection of persons who report violations of Union law, and the Law of 2022 (6(I)/2022) On the Protection 
of Persons Reporting Violations of Union and National Law. Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law 
Report, p. 30. 

164 The competent authorities were able to provide statistics on external whistleblower reports, for the first time 
in  2023.  Written  contribution  from  the  IAAC  in  the  context  of  the  country  visit  to  Cyprus.  Civil  society 
organisations  lament  the  lack  of  expertise  and  capacity  of  institutions  in  charge  of  implementing 
whistleblowing measures. Information received in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 

165  The Guidelines incorporate a risk-assessment methodology applied to all administrative authorities and ad-
hoc, including improved procedures against fraud and conflicts of interests in public procurement, a revised 
policy  for countering fraud, and the second fraud risk-assessment and action plan for the  RRP. Input from 
Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law  Report,  p. 37. RRP projects are subject to regular auditing by the Audit 
Office. Written contribution from the Audit Office in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, p. 12. 

166  Flash  Eurobarometer  543  on  Businesses’  attitudes  towards  corruption  in  the  EU  (2024).  This  is  34 

percentage points above the EU average. 

167  This concerns the application of the ISO 37001 standard for  anti-bribery management systems. Input from 

Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 40. 

168 Articles 19 and 29, respectively, of the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus.  
169  Cyprus ranks 65th in the 2024 Reporters without Borders World Press Freedom Index compared to 55th the 

previous year. 

20 

 
 
Cyprus’ media regulator, which is an independent Authority, is governed primarily by 
the  Radio  and  Television  Broadcasters  Law  as  well  as  the  Cyprus  Broadcasting 
Corporation Law. The Cyprus Radio Television Authority (CRTA), the regulator for audio-
visual  media  services,  is  functionally  and  effectively  independent170.  The  Media  Pluralism 
Monitor  (MPM)  confirms  its  low  risk  score  for  the  independence  of  the  media  regulator 
although it points out, once more, that the selection criteria for appointment of members of 
the  CRTA  board  by  the  Government  remain  very  generic  and  that  while  the  Radio  and 
Television  Broadcasters  Law  obliges  CRTA  to  submit  an  annual  activity  report  to  the 
President of the Parliament, the report is not made public171.  

There  have  been  no  further  regulatory  changes  to  the  framework  relating  to 
transparency of media ownership. While the 2021 amendments to the Radio and Television 
Broadcasters  Law  brought  about  some  improvements  in  relation  to  beneficial  ownership 
transparency  for  broadcast  media172,  other  media  sectors  –  digital  and  print  –  remain 
unregulated  in  this  respect.  A  2023  amendment  to  the  Radio  and  Television  Broadcasters 
Law  adjusted  certain  ownership  limits  which  must  be  adhered  to  in  case  of  licensed 
broadcasters as well as rules on cross-ownership and abrogated certain previously established 
ownership  restrictions173.  In  view  of  these  factors,  MPM  2024  has  increased  its  risk 
evaluation for this area within the high-risk band as the latter development is likely to make it 
even more difficult for CRTA to ensure respect of ownership information transparency under 
the Radio and Television Broadcasters Law174. In Cyprus, the media regulatory authority has 
no power of review of media mergers and acquisitions. The Minister responsible may, prior 
to the decision of the competition authority, declare that a notified concentration is deemed to 
be  of  major  public  interest  as  regards  the  effect  it  may  have  on  the  public  security,  the 
pluralism of the media or the principles of sound administration175.  

There has been no development to address  the lack  of legislation and transparency in 
the  field  of  state  advertising.  The  2023  Rule  of  Law  report  recommended  to  Cyprus  to 
‘adopt legislation to ensure fair and transparent distribution of advertising expenditure by the 
state and state-owned companies’176. Government continues to implement a set of guidelines 
–  based  on  various  criteria  such  as  audience  and  readership  share  –  in  relation  to  amounts 
distributed to media companies for the publication of information campaigns managed by the 
government’s press and information office177. Information published by the Treasury includes 
data of companies who operate media outlets, irrespective of their nature, based on the Law 
on Accounting, Financial Management and Financial Control of the Republic178. Information 
published on the Treasury’s website is not classified according to individual media outlets but 
according to holding companies179. For these reasons stakeholders continue to consider that 

170  2022 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 12. 
171 2024 Media Pluralism Monitor, country report for Cyprus pp. 14-15. 
172  2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 18. 
173  Law 87(I)23 of 28 July 2023 amending Article 19 of Law 7(I)/98 on Radio and Television Broadcasters.  
174  2024 Media Pluralism Monitor, country report for Cyprus, pp. 16-17. 
175  Article 5 and Articles 36-39 of the Control of Concentration between Undertakings Law 83 (I) of 2014. In 
such cases, the case is referred to the Council of Ministers which may officially approve or not approve the 
concentration in question. 

176  2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 2.  
177  2022 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 13. 
178  Law 38 (I) of 2014. 
179  Information received from media CSOs in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 

21 

 
 
the  area  lacks  real  transparency180.  Together  with  other  factors,  such  as  serious  economic 
difficulties  impacting  the  media  sector,  this  could  have  a  negative  impact  on  editorial 
freedom  and  independence  in  Cyprus.  The  Media  Pluralism  Monitor  continues  to  rank  this 
area at medium risk decreasing its risk evaluation based on the authorities’ furnishing of the 
criteria  utilised  for  the  distribution  of  state  advertising181  following  a  decision  by  the 
Information and Data Protection Commissioner with regard to the categories of information 
which  the  Press  and  Information  Office  shall  consider  public.  Considering  the  above,  there 
has been no progress on the recommendation made in the 2023 Rule of Law Report. 

Some  further  progress  has  been  made  with  regard  to  the  independent  governance  of 
public service media. The 2023 Rule of Law report recommended to Cyprus to advance with 
the  process  aimed  at  strengthening  the  rules  and  mechanisms  to  enhance  the  independent 
governance of public service media taking into account European standards on public service 
media182.  Consultations  have  advanced  between  the  Government,  the  Cyprus  Broadcasting 
Corporation  and  the  CRTA  on  the  modernisation  of  the  Law  on  the  Cyprus  Broadcasting 
Corporation. A draft bill that aims at modifying the system of appointment and dismissal of 
members of CyBC’s Board and establishing stricter eligibility conditions has been circulated 
to  the  relevant  authorities183.  According  to  the  draft,  appointments  would  only  be  possible 
following an open call for applications and any dismissal of a board member would need to 
be duly justified. While awaiting further progress on this bill, the Media Pluralism Monitor 
once more highlights that the current situation permits state and political party influence on 
CyBC’s operations and programming, thereby maintaining its high-risk score for this area184. 
While the concerns raised in the 2022 and 2023 Rule of Law Reports185 and by MPM persist, 
the  above-mentioned  discussions  represent  some  further  progress  with  regard  to  the 
recommendations  made  in  the  previous  years  to  enhance  the  independent  governance  of 
public service media186. 

An  information  campaign  was  launched  with  the  aim  of  raising  awareness  on  the 
public’s  right  to  access  information,  but  implementation  challenges  persist.  While  the 
legislative  framework,  namely  Law  184(I)/2017,  is  in  place  and  its  implementation  is 
efficiently overseen by the Information Commissioner, certain challenges persist in particular 
with regard to frequent delays in the processing of applications, the application in practice of 
the  exceptions  to  the  right  to  access  information,  as  well  as  the  interplay  of  the  above-
mentioned framework law with other laws and regulations regulating specific authorities187. 

180  Information received from the Union of Cypriot Journalists and the Institute for Mass Media in the context 

of the country visit to Cyprus.  

181  2024 Media Pluralism Monitor, country report for Cyprus p. 22. 
182  In the 2023 Rule of Law Report, the Commission concluded that some progress was made on strengthening 
the  rules  and  mechanisms  to  enhance  the  independent  governance  of  public  service  media  taking  into 
account European standards on public service media. 2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule 
of law situation in Cyprus, p. 2. 

183  Information received from Cyprus in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 
184  2024 Media Pluralism Monitor, country report for Cyprus p. 22. 
185  2022 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, pp. 13-14 and 2023 Rule 

of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 19. 

186  According  to  the  European  Parliament’s  Flash  Eurobarometer:  News  &  Media  Survey  2023,  45%  of 
respondents in Cyprus stated that they trust public TV and radio stations, below the EU average of 48%. 
187  These  findings  tally  with  GRECO  (2023)  Fifth  Evaluation  Round  Preventing  corruption  and  promoting 
integrity in central governments (top executive functions) and law enforcement agencies Evaluation Report 
on Cyprus, paras 64-73. 

22 

 
 
While MPM 2024 maintains its analysis that the system leaves room for arbitrariness, it has 
decreased its risk evaluation for this area from high to medium risk as certain denial of access 
decisions  in  relation  to  state  advertising  issues  appear  to  have  been  reversed188.  GRECO 
recommended  to  Cyprus  to  conduct  a  thorough  analysis  of  the  challenges  in  the 
implementation  of  the  law  and  to  take  additional  measures  to  improve  public  access  to 
information  and  a  culture  of  openness  within  the  public  authorities,  where  necessary.  The 
Information  Commissioner  launched  an  information  campaign  at  the  beginning  of  2023,  in 
collaboration with the government’s press and information office, to raise awareness among 
the  public  in  relation  to  the  right  to  access  public  information189.  The  Information 
Commissioner points out that the majority of complaints received by her office – very few of 
which are lodged by journalists – are resolved following the office’s intervention190.  

A previously tabled bill aimed at providing a legal framework for press freedom191 has 
been put on hold following consultations. Following consultations – including with media 
organisations and the Media Ethics Commission – which concluded that certain aspects of the 
bill could have had adverse effects on media freedom, the draft Law on the Safeguarding of 
Freedom of the Press and the Operation of the Media has been put on hold. As a response to 
the  2021  violent  attack  on  the  offices  of  an  independent  television  station192,  in  2023  the 
police  established  a  permanent  special  anti-riot  squad  to  deal  with  similar  incidents193.  The 
Council  of  Europe’s  Platform  to  promote  the  protection  of  journalism  and  safety  of 
journalists  has  published  no  alerts  since  the  publication  of  the  2022  Rule  of  Law  Report, 
relating to Cyprus194. The MPM has slightly increased its risk evaluation for this area within 
the medium risk band in the light of economic challenges impacting the sector, including the 
precarious  employment  situation  of  many  journalists  and  the  absence  of  updated  legal 
protection195. Journalists reported that they do not face physical threats196. In February 2024, 
following the publication of an investigative article, based on leaked confidential documents 
in relation to alleged mismanagement in a large energy project, the Attorney General issued a 
statement recalling that the leaking of classified documents is a criminal offence, punishable 
by  up  to  seven  years  in  prison.  The  Union  of  Cypriot  Journalists  issued  a  press  release 
condemning  the  Attorney  General’s  statement  as  a  direct  threat  to  the  journalistic 
community197. 

IV.  OTHER INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RELATED TO CHECKS AND BALANCES 

The Republic of Cyprus is a presidential representative republic. The President of Cyprus is 
both Head of State and Head of Government. The House of Representatives is the Parliament, 
which is vested with legislative power. Both representatives and ministers have the right of 
legislative  initiative.  The  Supreme  Constitutional  Court  is  competent  to  assess  the 

188  2024 Media Pluralism Monitor, country report for Cyprus p. 13 
189  Ibid. 
190  Written contribution from the Information Commissioner in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 
191  2022 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 14.  
192  Ibid. 
193  Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law Report. 
194  Council of Europe, Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists. 
195  2024 Media Pluralism Monitor, country report for Cyprus p. 14 
196  Written contribution from the Union of Cypriot Journalists in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 
197  Union of Cypriot Journalists, Press release of 16 February 2024.  

23 

 
 
constitutionality  of  laws  in  the  context  of  specific  cases  brought  before  it198.  There  are  a 
number of national independent authorities, organisations and institutions that aim to protect 
and safeguard human rights.  

Some  further  progress  was  made  to  improve  effective  and  timely  consultation  of 
stakeholders  in  the  legislative  process  with  the  launch  of  the  e-consultation  platform, 
but further measures are needed for meaningful public consultation. The 2023 Rule of 
Law Report recommended to Cyprus to ‘proceed with the adoption of the framework for the 
effective  and  timely  consultation  of  stakeholders  in  the  legislative  process  and  ensure  its 
implementation’199.  The  electronic  platform  for  public  consultations,  called  e-consultation, 
was launched in January 2024200, replacing the previous practice where public consultations 
were dispersed across the websites of different ministries201. The revised Consultation Guide, 
addressed  to  public  servants  involved  in  the  process  of  law-making,  was  also  adopted  in 
December  2023  and  published  on  the  website  of  the  platform.  The  Guide  provides  for  a 
minimum  period  of  four  weeks  of  public  consultation  and  a  detailed  layout  of  the 
consultation process without, however, addressing any of the shortcomings identified in the 
2023 Rule of Law Report202. Public consultations have started to systematically be launched, 
though the comments received are still very limited203. Parliament also invites stakeholders to 
meetings  of  its  standing  committees  to  present  their  views  during  debates  on  legislative 
proposals204.  However,  this  practice  appears  not  to  be  systematic,  nor  governed  by  clear 
rules205. The Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation expressed its overall satisfaction 
with  the  level  of  participation  of  social  partners  in  the  law-making  process206.  On  the 
contrary,  Civil  Society  Organisations  (CSOs)  expressed  their  discontent  resulting  mainly 
from  the  lack  of  feedback  and  recognition  of  their  expertise  and  contributions,  creating 
mistrust  and  discouraging  them  from  participating  in  similar  activities  in  the  future207. 

198  See  Section  I of  the  Report. The  Supreme  Constitutional Court  can  hear  cases,  notably  from  the  civil  and 
criminal  courts,  via  a  system  of  leave  to  appeal  by  referral  from  an  ordinary  court  of  “questions  of 
constitutionality  which  are  essential  to  the  determination  of  the  case  pending  before  it”  (Article  9  (a) 
Administration  of  Justice  (Miscellaneous  Provisions)  Law.  Before  the  re-establishment  of  the  Supreme 
Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court heard unconstitutionality claims. See also 2021, 2022 Rule of Law 
Reports, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 11, 14 and 11. 

199  In  the  2023  Rule  of  Law  Report,  the  Commission  concluded  that  some  progress  was  made  on  the  on 
establishing a framework for the effective and timely consultation of stakeholders in the legislative process. 
2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 2. 

200  Minutes of the meeting of the Council of Ministers dated 4 January 2024. 
201 See 2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, pp. 21-22. 
202  These include the discretion to choose between public and targeted consultation without clear criteria and the 
absence of any obligation for the competent services to provide feedback to participants, See 2023 Rule of 
Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, pp. 21-22. 

203  CSOs  pointed  to  the  fact  that  the  launch  of  the  platform  was  not  officially  announced  or  sufficiently 
publicised. Information received from NGO Support Centre, Civil Advocates and KISA in the context of the 
country visit to Cyprus. 

204  Written contribution from Parliament in the context of the country visit to Cyprus, p. 1.  
205 Information received from Parliament,  Oxygen for Democracy, NGO  Support Centre, Civil Advocates and 
KISA  and  OPEK  in  the  context  of  the  country  visit  to  Cyprus.  Members  of  the  relevant  parliamentary 
committees usually suggest which stakeholders should be heard during the debates. 

206  Information received from the Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB) in the context of the 

country visit to Cyprus.  

207  Contribution  from  NGO  Support  Centre  p.  18;  Civil  Society  Advocates  (2023),  Report  Civil  Society 
Organisations (CSOs): Challenges in relation to the legal operational framework and recommendations for 
creating an enabling environment for CSOs in Cyprus, pp. 39-40. In the survey conducted by Civil Society 

24 

 
 
 
GRECO  considered  the  launching  of  the  platform  an  encouraging  development,  while  it 
recommended  to  monitor  its  implementation  to  ensure  consistency208.  The  launching  of  the 
platform  is  a  positive  step,  but  further  measures  are  needed  to  ensure  a  meaningful  public 
participation and contribution to building an open government culture. Such measures setting 
clear  criteria  on  when  public  consultations  should  be  conducted209,  publishing  supporting 
documents  that  would  allow  participants  to  better  understand  the  scope  and  extent  of 
legislative proposals210, and providing effective feedback to respondents211. Overall, building 
on  the  progress  assessed  in  the  2023  Rule  of  Law  Report212,  there  has  been  some  further 
progress  on  the  implementation  of  the  recommendation  made  in  the  2023  Rule  of  Law 
Report. 

Challenges  regarding  the  quality  of  law-making  remain.  Performance  on  the  OECD 
indicators on regulatory governance and policy is well below the EU average213. Factors that 
weaken  the  quality  of  legislation  include  overregulation  and  lack  of  ex  post  evaluation  of 
policies214.  In  Cyprus,  25%  of  the  surveyed  companies  perceive  the  frequent  changes  in 
legislation  or  concerns  about  quality  of  law-making  process  as  a  reason  for  the  lack  of 
confidence  in  investment  protection  (36%  in  2023)215.  Stakeholders  consider  that  the 
transparency  of  the  legislative  process  in  the  parliamentary  committees  needs  to  be 
enhanced216.  Furthermore,  as  no  clear  deadlines  are  provided  in  Parliament’s  rules  of 

Advocates in the context of the above-mentioned Report, 80% of participating CSOs found the way public 
consultations are conducted not at all or slightly satisfactory (Graph 5.4, p. 27).  

208  GRECO  (2023)  Fifth  Evaluation  Round  Preventing  corruption  and  promoting  integrity  in  central 
governments  (top  executive  functions)  and  law  enforcement  agencies  Evaluation  Report  on  Cyprus,  paras 
74-76. GRECO addresses recommendation vii: “putting in place an institutionalised mechanism to monitor 
the  quality  of  the  consultation  process  in  order  to  ensure  relevant  and  timely  stakeholder  involvement  in 
policy/regulatory development”.  

209  Public consultations are not compulsory. It is upon the discretion of the competent service to decide whether 
to proceed with a public consultation or to opt for a targeted consultation, thus only engaging with specific 
groups, as the draft Guide does not include criteria in this respect.  See 2023 Rule of Law Report,  country 
chapter on  the  rule  of  law  situation  in  Cyprus,  pp.  21-22. In  October 2023,  Parliament started  discussions 
before  the  standing  committee  of  Legal  Affairs,  Justice  and  Public  Order  on  a  proposal  for  a  draft  bill 
submitted in 2022 by a member of Parliament aiming to make public consultations compulsory. 

210  This  is  in  particular  the  case  with  explanatory  reports  and/or  impact  assessments.  In  its  2023 
Recommendation  on  promoting  the  engagement  and  effective  participation  of  citizens  and  civil  society 
organisations in public policy-making processes, the Commission recommends, amongst other, to Member 
States  to  provide  the  widest  possible  access  to  information  and  to  key  documents  both  offline  and  online, 
including  through  the  websites  of  the  relevant  public  authorities,  and  proactively  and  widely  disseminate 
such information to the public, in an accessible language, free of charge and without undue administrative 
obstacles (Commission Recommendation of 12.12.2023, C(2023) 8627 final, p.10). 

211  It is critical for respondents to know how, and to what extent, their input has been taken into account and to 
understand why certain suggestions have not been taken up. It contributes to the overall transparency of the 
policymaking, enhances its accountability and credibility, and potentially leads to better responses to future 
consultations, European Commission (2021), Better Regulation Guidelines, SWD(2021) 305 final. See also, 
OECD (2022), OECD Guidelines for Citizen Participation Processes, pp.60-61.  

212  In  the  2023  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Country  Chapter  on  the  rule  of  law  situation  in  Cyprus,  p.2,  the 
Commission considered that ‘some progress’ had been made on the recommendation addressed in the 2022 
Rule of Law Report.  

213  OECD  (2022),  Indicators  of  Regulatory  Policy  and  Governance  –  Cyprus;  See  also,  2023  Rule  of  Law 

Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, pp. 22-23. 

214  European Semester, 2024 Country Report – Cyprus, SWD (2024) 613 final, Annex 13, p. 60. 
215  Figure 56, 2024 EU Justice Scoreboard.  
216 Information received from Oxygen for Democracy, OPEK, Citizens’ Initiative Pothen Esches  in the context 
of  the  country  visit  to  Cyprus.  According  to  the  Rules  of  Procedure  of  Parliament,  the  meetings  of  the 

25 

 
 
 
procedure217,  draft  legislation  can  remain  pending  before  Parliament  for  years218.  The 
creation of the e-legislation platform faces delays219 but once completed, it will improve legal 
certainty and transparency. 

The  Ombudsperson  is  undertaking  an  additional  role  in  monitoring  compliance  with 
fundamental rights in the implementation of EU funds. The Ombudsperson is accredited 
with  ‘A’  status  by  the  UN  Global  Alliance  of  National  Human  Rights  Institutions 
(GANHRI)220.  The  role  of  monitoring  compliance  of  the  implementation  of  EU  funded 
programmes with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in the framework of the ‘Horizontal 
Enabling  Condition  on  the  Charter’221  was  added  to  the  Ombudsperson’s  already  broad 
mandate in September 2023222. The Ombudsperson is involved both in an advisory capacity 
in the drafting of programmes223 and acts as a complaint mechanism224. This additional role is 
considered challenging as it impacts on the already heavy workload of the Office and could 

committees at the stage of the adoption of a final position/decision are always held in camera. Minutes of the 
meetings are kept in summary and are in principle confidential (Articles 46-47). 
217  Information received from Parliament in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 
218  Information received from Parliament in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 
219  Investment  C3.412  of  the  National  Recovery  and  Resilience  Plan  concerns  the  digitalisation  of  the  law-
making process and is expected to be completed by 31 December 2025. The project is also supported by the 
Technical Support Instrument. The public procurement and the award of the contract for the development of 
the  platform  were  scheduled  to  be  completed  by  the  end  of  2023  (2023  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Country 
Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, pp. 21-22), but the invitation for tenders was only published 
in late February 2024. Information received from the Ministry of Finance in the context of the country visit 
to Cyprus. 

220  Global  Alliance  of  Human  Rights  Institutions,  Sub-Committee  on  Accreditation  (SCA),  Report,  October 
2022, pp. 14-15. 2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 23. 
221  Member  States  must  ensure  respect  for  fundamental  rights  and  compliance  with  the  Charter  when 
implementing the eight funds covered by the Common Provisions Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 
of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  24  June  2021  laying  down  common  provisions  on  the 
European  Regional  Development  Fund,  the  European  Social  Fund  Plus,  the  Cohesion  Fund,  the  Just 
Transition  Fund  and  the  European  Maritime,  Fisheries  and Aquaculture  Fund  and  financial  rules  for  those 
and  for  the  Asylum,  Migration  and  Integration  Fund,  the  Internal  Security  Fund  and  the  Instrument  for 
Financial  Support  for  Border  Management  and  Visa  Policy,  OJ  L  231,  30.6.2021,  p.  159).  Under  the 
Common  Provisions  Regulation,  Member  States  must  fulfil  throughout  the  entire  programming  period  all 
enabling  conditions,  including  the  horizontal  enabling  condition  on  the  Charter  to  have  all  related 
expenditure  reimbursed.  The  horizontal  enabling  condition  on  the  Charter  requires  Member  States  to 
establish effective mechanisms so that the programmes and their implementation comply with the Charter. 
222  Decisions  nos.  92.280  of  30/03/2022,  94.440  of  22/02/2023  and  95.251  of  13/09/2023  of  the  Council  of 
Ministers.  The  mandate  includes  being  the  Equality  Body,  in  charge  of  combating  discrimination  and 
promoting  equality,  the  National  Preventive  Mechanism  under  the  Optional  Protocol  to  the  Convention 
against Torture  and  Other  Cruel,  Inhuman  or  Degrading Treatment  or  Punishment  (OPCAT),  the  National 
Monitoring  Mechanism  under  the  Convention  on  the  Rights  of  Persons  with  Disabilities  (CRPD)  and  the 
Mechanism for the Monitoring of the Procedures of Forced Returns of third-country Nationals. 2023 Rule of 
Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p.22. 

223  The Ombudsperson provides written guidance and advice to the managing authority/intermediate body  as to 
the compliance of the co-funded programmes with the provisions of the Charter and, if a possible violation 
of the programmes in relation to any provision is found, the Ombudsperson can address recommendations to 
align the programmes with the provisions of the Charter. It is the responsibility of the managing authority/ 
intermediate  body  to  ensure  compliance  with  the  Ombudsperson’s  recommendations. Written  contribution 
from  Cyprus  in  the  context  of  the  country  visit  to  Cyprus;  The  Office  of  the  Commissioner  for 
Administration and the Protection of Human Rights (2023), The role of national bodies with a human rights 
remit in ensuring fundamental rights compliance of EU funds.  

224  Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, pp. 52-53, Fundamental Rights Agency of the European 

Union (2023), EU Funds Ensuring compliance with Fundamental Rights, Report p. 55.  

26 

 
 
require reinforcement in terms of resources225. While the recruitment of seven additional staff 
members in 2023 increased its capacity, the need for further staff at senior level remains226. 
In  the  framework  of  a  regional  project  to  support  National  Human  Rights  Institutions  in 
monitoring fundamental  rights227, the Ombudsperson organised targeted training to enhance 
the  capacity  of  participants  to  implement  the  EU  Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights  in  their 
work228.  

A  draft  law  aims  to  address  challenges  regarding  the  failure  by  parts  of  the 
administration  to  comply  with  decisions  of  administrative  courts.  Despite  statutory 
provisions229,  decisions  issued  by  administrative  courts230  in  the  context  of  requests  for 
annulment are not always complied with231. The Cyprus Bar Association highlighted the need 
for  progress  in  this  respect232.  Previous  attempts  to  solve  this  long-standing  issue  were 
unsuccessful233.  The  Ministry  of  Justice  has  prepared  a  draft  bill  aiming  to  enhance  the 
administration’s  compliance.  According  to  the  proposal  submitted  to  public  consultation  in 
February  2024  by  the  Ministry  of  Justice,  courts  may  (i)  impose  monetary  fines  in  case  of 
non-compliance or incomplete or defective implementation of court decisions and (ii) provide 
guidance,  in  the  operative  part  of  the  decision,  as  to  the  appropriate  manner  of 
implementation234. 

225  Information  received  from  the  Ombudsperson  in  the  context  of  the  country  visit  to  Cyprus.  Fundamental 
Rights Agency  of  the  European  Union  (2023),  EU  Funds  Ensuring  compliance  with  Fundamental  Rights, 
Report p. 42 

226  See also 2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 23. 
227  The project, funded through the European Economic Area (EEA) and Norway Grants, aims to strengthen the 
role of NHRIs in the application of the Charter at national level by supporting NHRIs in Bulgaria, Croatia, 
Cyprus, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Participants also include the Fundamental Rights Agency of 
the EU as lead partner and the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) as an 
expertise partner. 

228  Trainings  were  addressed  respectively  to  staff  members  of  the  Ombudsperson  Office,  public  servants 
responsible for the implementation of EU funded, lawyers and judges. Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule 
of  Law  Report,  pp.  58-59.  ENNHRI  (2024), The  state  of  the  rule  of  law  in  the  European  Union,  Reports 
from  National  Human  Rights  Institutions,  Cyprus,  Office  of  the  Commissioner  for Administration  and  the 
Protection of Human Rights, p.140. 

229  Article  146  of  the  Constitution  obliges  all  public  authorities  to  comply  with  the  decisions  issued  in 
administrative  cases.  It  also  provides  that  the  issuing  court  has  jurisdiction  to  find  that  there  has  been  a 
failure to comply, order the administration to take measures and grant compensation to any person harmed. A 
law  setting  out  the  details  needs  to  be  enacted.  Law  158  (I)/  1999, Article  57  provides  that  following  an 
annulment  decision,  the deed  disappears  and  the  administration  is  obliged  to  restore  things  to  the position 
they were in before the issuance of the annulled deed. 

230  Acts,  decisions,  and  omissions  of  regulatory  authorities  are  subject  to  judicial  review  before  the 
Administrative Court at first instance and before  the Appeal Court on appeal. The Supreme Constitutional 
Court is the supreme administrative court. Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 54. 

231  Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, pp. 14 and 54. 
232  Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 14. 
233  A  draft  bill  providing  for  sanctions  in  case  of  non-compliance  has  been  pending  for  several  years  before 
Parliament, after failing to get legal vetting by the Law Office. Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law 
Report, p. 55. See also 2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, p. 
11. 

234  Draft Law of 2024 amending Law 158(I)/1999) on the General Principles of Administrative Law. The draft 

was submitted to public consultation.  

27 

 
 
On 1 January 2024, Cyprus had 10 leading judgments of the European Court of Human 
Rights pending implementation, an increase of one compared to the previous year235. At 
that  time,  Cyprus’  rate  of  leading  judgments  from  the  past  10  years  that  remained  pending 
was  at  53%  (compared  to  59%  in  2023)  and  the  average  time  that  the  judgments  had  been 
pending  implementation  was  3  year  and  4  months  (compared  to  3  years  and  3  months  in 
2023)236. As regards the respect of payment deadlines, on 31 December 2023 there were no 
cases in total awaiting confirmation of payments (compared to 1 in 2022)237. On 1 July 2024, 
the number of leading judgments pending implementation decreased to nine238. 

Plans for regular dialogue between the authorities and civil society are promising, while 
concerns  regarding  the  administrative  requirements 
imposed  on  Civil  Society 
Organisations  (CSOs)  remain.  Civic  space  in  Cyprus  is  considered  “narrowed”239. 
Previously  identified  concerns  regarding  the  implementation  of  the  regulatory  framework 
regarding  CSOs  persist240.  CSOs  have  criticised  the  strict  and  inflexible  application  of  the 
Law  on  Associations  and  Foundations241  by  the  administrative  authorities  which  results  in 
delays,  additional  requirements  not  provided  for  by  the  law,  and  inconsistency  in  the 
practices followed by the different district offices242. A survey carried out in 2023 identified 
administrative  delays  regarding  registration,  problems  with  freezing  bank  accounts  without 
warning  and  access  to  funding  as  the  main  issues  faced  by  CSOs243.  The  Government  put 
forward a proposal in November 2023 to amend the Law on Associations and Foundations to 
facilitate  registration  and  align  its  rules  with  anti-money  laundering  requirements244. 
According to CSOs, the proposed amendments fail to strike a fair balance between targeted 

235  The adoption of necessary execution measures for a  judgment by the European Court of Human Rights is 
supervised by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. It is the Committee’s practice to group 
cases against a State requiring similar execution measures, particularly general measures, and examine them 
jointly. The first case in the group is designated as the leading case as regards the supervision of the general 
measures and repetitive cases within the group can be closed when it is assessed that all possible individual 
measures needed to provide redress to the applicant have been taken. 

236  All figures are calculated by the European Implementation Network and are based on the number of cases 
that  are  considered  pending  at  the  annual  cut-off  date  of  1  January  2024.  See  the  Contribution  from  the 
European Implementation Network for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 2. 

237  Council  of  Europe  (2024),  Supervision  of  the  execution  of  judgments  decisions  of  the  European  Court  of 

Human Rights – 17th Annual Report of the Committee of Ministers – 2023, p. 137.  

238  Data according to the online database of the Council of Europe (HUDOC). 
239  Rating by CIVICUS; ratings are on a five-category scale defined as: open, narrowed, obstructed, repressed 

and closed (Civicus (2023), Monitor tracking civic space-Cyprus). 

240  2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Cyprus, pp. 24 -25. 
241  Law on Association and Foundations and other Related Matters 104 (I)/2017. 
242  Information received from NGO Support Centre, KISA, Civil Society Advocates and OPEK in the context of 
the  country  visit  to  Cyprus.  Civil  Society Advocates  (2023),  For  Stronger  CSOs: Advocacy  and  capacity 
building for the empowerment of CSOs. 

243  The  survey  was  carried  out  in  the  framework  of  the  project  For  Stronger  CSOs: Advocacy  and  capacity 
building for the empowerment of CSOs. The project is funded through the European Economic Area (EEA) 
and  Norway  Grants  and  aims  to  improve  the  operational  environment  for  Civil  Society  Organisations 
(CSOs) in Cyprus and to encourage the creation of a more enabling environment for them. 

244  Draft Amending Law on Association and Foundations and other Related Matters of 2023. The invitation to 
the  public  consultation  of  the  draft  law  referred  to  both  the  assessment  of  (i)  the  Council  of  Europe, 
Committee  of  Experts  on  the  Evaluation  of  Anti-Money  Laundering  Measures  and  the  Financing  of 
Terrorism (2nd Enhanced Follow-up Report, November 2022) and (ii) of the 2023 Rule of Law Report. The 
Government  has  also  established  a  working  group  to  draft  legislation  focusing  on  sports  associations,  as, 
according to the authorities, there are different needs regarding their regulation together with an increased 
risk of money laundering. Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, pp. 55-56. 

28 

 
 
protection  from  money  laundering  abuse  and  allowing  legitimate  CSOs  activities245.  In 
September 2023, the NGO platform, an electronic registry, became operational246. While this 
is  a  positive  development  aiming 
improve 
communication  with  CSOs,  it  is  not  yet  used  by  all  district  offices.  In  October  2023,  the 
Government organised a feedback dialogue with CSOs, which it intends to continue247. CSOs 
reported  that  no  measures  have  been  taken  by  the  authorities  to  protect  them  from  attacks, 
both physical and verbal, including a recent bombing attack at the office of a CSO active in 
anti-racism and equality248.  

to  reduce  administrative  burden  and 

245 A group of CSOs, the NGO Initiative, provided coordinated input to the corresponding public consultation in 
January 2024.They referred to the implementation of recommendation 8 of the Financial Action Task Force 
(FATF),  which  states  that  countries  should  have  focused,  proportionate  and  risk-based  measures  in  place, 
without  unduly  disrupting  or  discouraging  legitimate  Non-profit  organisations,  in  line  with  the  risk-based 
approach. FATF (2012-2023), International Standards on Combating Money Laundering and the Financing 
of Terrorism & Proliferation.  

246  The  platform  functions  as  an  electronic  registry  that  allows  the  electronic  submission  of  documents,  in 
particular  the  annual  reports.  2023  Rule  of  Law  Reports,  Country  Chapter  on  the  rule  of  law  situation  in 
Cyprus, p. 25.  

247  Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 55. 
248  KISA, Action for Equality, Support, Antiracism; KISA further reported that the police failed to investigate its 
numerous complaints about threats its members have been receiving for years and which culminated with the 
bombing attack. Several CSOs and international organisations expressed solidarity with KISA, condemned 
the attack and called on Cypriot authorities to take action to condemn the bombing, launch an investigation, 
and  halt  the  attacks  upon  KISA.  Contribution  from  the  Front-Line  Defenders  for  the  2024  Rule  of  Law 
Report,  p.  2;  Statewatch,  Civic  space  in  Cyprus  must  be  protected,  14  February  2024.  Other  incidents 
include statements by Members of Parliament presenting several CSOs, including those active in LGBTIQ 
rights, as attempting to corrupt the youth, during public discussions on the introduction of sexual education 
at  schools.  Franet,  University  of  Nicosia  and  Symfiliosi  (2024),  National  contribution  to  the  Fundamental 
Rights Report 2024, p.14. 

29 

 
 
Annex I: List of sources in alphabetical order* 

* The list of contributions received in the context of the consultation for the 2024 Rule of Law report 
can 
https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2024-rule-law-report-targeted-
found 
stakeholder-consultation_en.  

be 

at 

Audit Office (2024), Written contribution from the Audit Office in the context of the country visit to 
Cyprus. 

Audit Office (2024), The Deputy Attorney General announces a petition to the Supreme Court for the 
dismissal of the Auditor General, Press release of 21 April 2024. 

Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom,  Monitoring Media Pluralism in the Digital Era in 
the year 2023 (2024) Country report: Cyprus. 

Centre for the Rule of Law and European Values (CroLev) (2024), Contribution from CroLev for the 
2023 Rule of Law Report.  

Centre for the Rule of Law and European Values (CroLev) (2024), Written contribution from CroLev 
in the context of the country visit to Cyprus. 

Civicus (2023), Monitor tracking civic space – Cyprus, https://monitor.civicus.org/country/cyprus/. 

Civil Society Advocates (2023), Report Civil Society Organisations (CSOs): Challenges in relation to 
the  legal  operational  framework  and  recommendations  for  creating  an  enabling  environment  for 
CSOs in Cyprus. 

Civil  Society  Advocates  (2023),  For  Stronger  CSOs:  Advocacy  and  capacity  building  for  the 
empowerment of CSOs. 

Council  of  Bars  and  Law  Societies  of  Europe  (CCBE)  (2019),  Charter  of  core  principles  of  the 
European legal profession &Code of conduct for European lawyers. 

Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) (2024), Contribution from the Council of Bars 
and Law Societies of Europe for the 2024 Rule of Law Report. 

Council of Europe: Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and 
the Financing of Terrorism (2022), 2nd Enhanced Follow-up Report. 

Council  of  Europe:  Committee  of  Ministers  (2000),  Recommendation  CM/Rec(2000)19  of  the 
Committee  of  Ministers  of  the  Council  of  Europe  on  the  role  of  public  prosecution  in  the  criminal 
justice system. 

Council  of  Europe:  Committee  of  Ministers  (2000),  Recommendation  CM/Rec(2000)21  of  the 
Committee of Ministers to member states on the freedom of exercise of the profession of lawyer. 

Council of Europe: Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists. 

Council  of  Europe:  Venice  Commission  (2010),  Report  on  European  Standards  as  regards  the 
independence of the judicial system: Part II- the prosecution service (CDL-AD(2010)040). 

Council of Europe: Venice Commission (2016), Rule of Law Checklist (CDL-AD(2016)017). 

Council  of  Europe:  Venice  Commission  (2018),  Opinion  on  Constitutional  arrangements  and 
separation  of  powers  and  the  independence  of  the  judiciary  and  law  enforcement  (CDL-
AD(2018)028-e). 

Council  of  Europe:  Venice  Commission  (2021),  Opinion  on  three  bills  reforming  the  judiciary  in 
Cyprus (CDL-AD(2021)043). 

Council  of  the  European  Union  (2021),  Council  Implementing  Decision  of  20  July  2021  on  the 
approval of the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan for Cyprus with Annex. 

Cypriot Government (2024), Input from Cyprus for the 2024 Rule of Law. 

30 

 
Cyprus Bar Association (2024), Written contribution from the Cyprus Bar Association in the context 
of the country visit to Cyprus. 

Cyprus Mail (2024), Bar Association to decide whether to discipline lawyer, 7 February 2024.  

European  Commission  (2024),  2024  Country  Report  –  Cyprus,  Accompanying  the  document 
Recommendation for a Council Recommendation on the economic, social, employment, structural and 
budgetary policies of Cyprus, SWD (2024) 613 final. 

European Commission (2020), 2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation 
in Cyprus. 

European Commission (2021), 2021 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation 
in Cyprus. 

European Commission (2022), 2022 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European Commission (2022), 2022 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation 
in Cyprus. 

European Commission (2023), 2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation 
in Cyprus. 

European  Commission  (2023),  Recommendation  of  12.12.2023  on  promoting  the  engagement  and 
effective  participation  of  citizens  and  civil  society  organisations  in  public  policy-making  processes, 
C(2023) 8627 final. 

European Commission (2023), Flash Eurobarometer 524 – Businesses’ attitudes towards corruption 
in the EU. 

European Commission (2023), Special Eurobarometer 534 – Citizens’ attitudes towards corruption in 
the EU. 

European Commission (2022), EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European Commission (2023), EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European Commission (2024), EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European  Commission  (2024),  Recovery and  Resilience  Facility  –  Mid-term  evaluation,  Case  study 
on economic, social and institutional resilience: justice reforms. 

European Implementation Network (2024), Contribution from the European Implementation Network  

for the 2024 Rule of Law Report. 

European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (2024), The state of the rule of law in the 
European  Union,  Reports  from  National  Human  Rights  Institutions,  Cyprus,  Office  of  the 
Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights. 

Financial  Action  Task  Force  (FATF)  (2012-2023),  International  Standards  on  Combating  Money 
Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism & Proliferation. 

Franet,  [University  of  Nicosia  and  Symfiliosi]  (2023),  Country  research  –  Legal  environment  and 
space  of  civil  society  organisations  in  supporting  fundamental  rights  –  [Cyprus],  EU  Agency  for 
Fundamental Rights, https://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2024/fundamental-rights-report-2024.  

Front-Line  Defenders  (20024),  Contribution  from  Front-Line  Defenders  for  the  2024  Rule  of  Law 
Report. 

Fundamental  Rights  Agency  of  the  European  Union  (2023),  EU  Funds  Ensuring  compliance  with 
Fundamental Rights, Report. 

Global Alliance of Human Rights Institutions (2022), Report and Recommendations of the Session of 
the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA), Geneva, 3-7 October 2022. 

31 

 
GRECO (2016), Fourth Evaluation Round, Evaluation Report on Cyprus on Corruption prevention in 
respect of members of parliament, judges and prosecutors. 

GRECO (2018), Third Evaluation Round, Addendum to the Second Compliance Report on Cyprus on 
Transparency of Party Funding.  

GRECO  (2023),  Fifth  Evaluation  Round,  Preventing  corruption  and  promoting  integrity  in  central 
governments (top executive functions) and law enforcement agencies. 

GRECO  (2024),  Fourth  Evaluation  Round  Second  Addendum  to the  Second  Compliance  Report  on 
Cyprus. 

International Bar Association (IBA) (2011), Commentary on IBA International Principles on Conduct 
for the Legal Profession. 

International  Organization  of  Supreme  Audit  Institutions  (INTOSAI)  (1977),  Lima  Declaration  of 
Guidelines on Auditing Precepts. 

International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) (2019), Mexico Declaration on 
Supreme Audit Institutions Independence. 

International  Organization  of  Supreme  Audit  Institutions  (INTOSAI)  (2021),  Statement  by  the 
INTOSAI  development initiative  following the  potential  independence  challenges  faced  by  the  audit 
office of the republic of Cyprus. 

Kathimerini (2024), Interview with the Deputy Attorney General, 21 April 2024. 

Law  Office  (2024),  Written  contribution  from  the  Law  Office  in  the  context  of  the  country  visit  to 
Cyprus. 

Ministry  of  Finance  (2024),  Written  contribution  from  Ministry  of  Finance  in  the  context  of  the 
country visit to Cyprus. 

Ministry of Interior (2024), Written contribution received from the Ministry of Interior in the context 
of the country visit to Cyprus. 

Ministry of Justice and Public Order (2024), Written contribution from the Ministry of Justice in the 
context of the country visit to Cyprus.  

NGO Support Centre, Contribution from NGO Support Centre for the 2024 Rule of Law Report. 

OECD (2022), OECD Guidelines for Citizen Participation Processes. 

OECD (2023), Indicators of Regulatory Policy and Governance, Europe 2022-Cyprus. 

Office of the Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights (2023), Impact of 
2022 ENNHRI rule of law reporting. 

Office of the Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights (2023), The role 
of national bodies with a human rights remit in ensuring fundamental rights compliance of EU funds. 

OPEK (2024), End of the anachronism with the ‘uncontrolled powers’ of the Attorney General, Press 
Release of 5 February 2024.  

Oxygen for Democracy (2024), Contribution from Oxygono for the 2024 Rule of Law Report.  

Parliament of Cyprus (2024), Written contribution from Parliament in the context of the country visit 
to Cyprus. 

Philenews  (2024),  Attorney  General  describes  allegations  of  corruption  in  Legal  Service  as 
“baseless”, 1 February 2024. 

Public Prosecutors (2024), Contribution from Public Prosecutors for the 2024 Rule of Law report. 

Reporters Without Borders (2024), 2024 World Press Freedom Index. 

32 

 
Statewatch (2024), Civic space in Cyprus must be protected, 14 February 2024. 

Supreme Court (2024), Written contribution from the Supreme Court in the context of the country visit 
to Cyprus.  

UN Human Rights Regional Office for Europe (OHCHR) (2024), Contribution from OHCHR for the 
2024 Rule of Law Report. 

UN  Development  Programme  (UNDP)/UN  Office  on  Drugs  and  Crime  (UNODC)  (2012),  Jakarta 
Statement on Principles for Anti-Corruption Agencies. 

UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) (2020), Colombo commentary on the Jakarta Statement on 
Principles for Anti-Corruption Agencies. 

UN  Office  on  Drugs  and  Crime  (UNODC)/UN  Interregional  Crime  and  Justice  Research  Institute 
(UNICRI) (2009), Technical Guide to the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). 

Union of Cypriot Journalists (2024), Press release of 16 February 2024. 

Union of Cypriot Journalists (2024), Written contribution from the Union of Cypriot Journalists in the 
context of the country visit to Cyprus. 

33 

 
 
  
 
Annex II: Country visit to Cyprus 

The Commission services held virtual meetings in January and February 2024 with: 

•  Association of Judges 
•  Audit Office 
•  Centre for the Rule of Law and European Values (CroLev) 
•  Citizens’ Initiative Pothen Esches 
•  Civil Society Advocates 
•  Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights 
•  Commissioner for Information 
•  Cyprus Bar Association 
•  Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation 
•  Cyprus Employers & Industrialists Federation (OEB) 
•  Department of Judicial Reform, Supreme Court 
•  House of Representatives 
• 
• 
•  KISA 
•  Ministry of Finance 
•  Ministry of Interior 
•  Ministry of Justice and Public Order 
•  NGO Support Centre 
•  Office of the Attorney General 
•  OPEK 
•  Oxygen for Democracy 
•  Police  -  Internal  Affairs  Service,  Office  of  Investigation  of  Financial  Crimes  and 

Independent Authority against Corruption (IAAC) 
Institute for Mass Media (IMME) 

Professional Standards and Inspection Directorate (PSID) 

•  Press and Information Office 
•  Radio-Television Authority 
•  Supreme Constitutional Court 
•  Supreme Court 
•  Union of Cyprus Journalists (ESK) 

* The Commission also met the following organisations in a number of horizontal meetings:  

•  Amnesty International EU 
•  Centre for Democracy and Technology Europe 
•  Centre for European Volunteering 
•  Civil Liberties Union for Europe 
•  Civil Rights Defenders 
•  Civil Society Europe 
•  Culture Action Europe 
•  Democracy Reporting International 
•  European Centre for Non-Profit Law 

34 

 
 
International Federation for Human Rights 
International Planned Parenthood Federation 
International Press Institute 
Irish Council for Civil Liberties 

•  European Civic Forum 
•  European Federation of Journalists 
•  European Partnership for Democracy 
•  European Youth Forum 
•  Free Press Unlimited 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•  JEF Europe 
•  Open Society Foundations 
•  Philanthropy Europe Association 
•  PICUM 
•  Reporters Without Borders 
•  SOLIDAR 
•  Transparency International EU 

35