On 8 August 2025, Terra Cypria and BirdLife Cyprus issued a joint press release highlighting serious concerns: the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment is leaving Cyprus exposed by failing to meet its obligations to protect Natura 2000 sites.
Already in March 2024, the European Commission decided to take Cyprus to the Court of Justice of the European Union because of repeated failures to issue the necessary decrees that safeguard Natura 2000 areas. These decrees are essential to ensure proper protection and management of the island’s most valuable natural habitats.
Instead, in August 2025, the Ministry announced that it is considering a “different approach,” by giving legal force to the existing Management Plans. However, this proposal is both problematic and unworkable, and only adds further delays to the already missed deadlines. The required decrees should be in place by the end of 2025, yet this new approach risks pushing things back even further.
This failure not only puts Cyprus at risk of further EU legal action and penalties, but also leaves Natura 2000 areas vulnerable to harmful developments and activities. Without clear legal protection, some of the island’s most important ecosystems remain at threat.
Protecting Natura 2000 sites is not only a legal obligation — it is a commitment to safeguarding Cyprus’s natural heritage for future generations.
👉 You can read the full joint press release here.