Cyprus was the leading country in absorbing funds from the Cohesion Funds for the period 2014 to 2020, as presented by Christina Rafti, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cyprus, during a session of the Regional Development Committee (REGI) of the European Parliament.

Ms. Rafti presented the results of the implementation of the Cohesion Policy for the period 2014-2020 and outlined the planning for 2021-2027.

Official data reveals that Cyprus is among the seven countries that utilized 100% of the Cohesion Fund resources during this period, ranking first, followed by Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovenia.

In total, Cyprus drew €876.3 million, of which €58.8 million were in pure pre-financing, and €817.5 million in net interim payments.

The projects funded by the Cohesion Funds include, among others, promoting sustainability in agriculture, reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and managing natural resources effectively in the agricultural sector. Also notable are the digitization and accessibility of public cultural, historical, audiovisual, and printed materials, as well as music, via the internet, and the development of an online information platform on environmental risks. Other indicative projects focus on education in innovation and entrepreneurship and on boosting the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises in the agri-food sector.

The data are available here for all member states and the EU as a whole. It covers Cohesion Policy funds (European Regional Development Fund, Cohesion Fund, European Social Fund, and Youth Employment Initiative), their financial planning and implementation, EU payments to member states, and the objectives set, decided, and implemented for the period 2014-2020.