Cyprus's agriculture minister has acknowledged delays in implementing the country's European obligations to protect Natura 2000 sites, revealing that only 11 of 37 required decrees have been issued to date.
Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Minister Maria Panayiotou made the admission in a response to Nicosia MP Alexandra Attalidou as the Republic of Cyprus continues to face EU justice proceedings over inadequate implementation of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and insufficient protection of Natura 2000 sites.
Working groups established in April 2024 encountered technical and scientific obstacles, including a lack of adequate data on the conservation status of species and habitats, whilst coordination problems arose amongst the bodies involved, the minister said.
Panayiotou said the timeline has been reassessed, with two decrees already issued for marine Special Areas of Conservation and two more in preparation to demonstrate progress to the European Commission.
"The Republic of Cyprus and the competent departments are in continuous contact with EU services for updates and monitoring of the progress being achieved," the minister said regarding the pending case before the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Panayiotou repeated her commitment that all decrees will be issued by the end of 2026, assuring that the protection and management of biodiversity remains "a priority and fundamental commitment" of the ministry.
The European Commission referred Cyprus to the CJEU in March 2024 for failing to establish specific conservation measures for 28 of 37 Special Areas of Conservation, whilst conservation objectives for five areas were deemed insufficient.
Attalidou, who submitted the question on 23 May 2025, has repeatedly highlighted that delays in implementing the directive risk damaging Cyprus's credibility and expose the country to financial penalties from the EU.