Fines resulting from environmental inspections in Cyprus are expected to triple in 2025 compared to previous years, according to Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Maria Panayiotou.

In an interview with Phileleftheros on Sunday, the Minister revealed that the Environmental Inspections Sector has been reinforced with 15 new staff members. “From January to July 2025, 137 out-of-court settlements were issued, amounting to a total of €325,000. In comparison, during the whole of 2023, 85 fines worth approximately €100,000 were issued. By the end of 2025, both the number of fines and the total amount are expected to exceed three times those of previous years, highlighting real progress,” she stated.

The Minister discussed the overall modernization strategy of the Department of Environment, including the simplification of environmental licensing procedures, enhanced inspections, and the fight against illegal waste disposal.

She underlined that the goal is for the environmental sector to become a key driver of progress. “That is why the Department of Environment must constantly modernize,” Panayiotou noted.

According to the Minister, a series of meetings were held with corresponding departments abroad to collect best practices and solutions for improving environmental licensing.

“We proceeded with the modernization and simplification of environmental impact assessment and licensing procedures,” she explained, adding that the goal is faster and higher-quality evaluations with less bureaucracy and less inconvenience for citizens and investors.

The Department has also codified the main environmental conditions for each type of development, creating standardized terms to ensure consistency and clarity for both the Department and applicants. Additionally, training was provided to environmental officers for more comprehensive assessments of studies, focusing on key environmental parameters for each project.

Environmental terms were also revised to make opinions more substantive and aligned with new realities. A new digital platform, expected to launch by the end of the year, will allow citizens to track their application progress online. With these reforms, evaluation times are expected to decrease to 3–6 months.

“The Department of Environment continuously enhances the effectiveness of inspections through partnerships with relevant bodies,” the Minister noted. This includes memorandums of cooperation with the Police and Fire Service, as well as the training of over 150 local inspectors across Cyprus.

Joint campaigns are being organized with other government departments, while new technologies are being integrated to ensure more systematic, targeted, and modern inspections.

For projects within or affecting Natura 2000 protected areas, a legislative amendment has been promoted to require the presence of a mandatory environmental inspector during both construction and operation, ensuring full compliance with environmental conditions.

The Minister also announced that by early 2026, a total of 50 Green Kiosks will be operating across Cyprus. “The creation of Green Kiosks is one of our most significant initiatives to promote recycling and advance the transition to a circular economy, as it will strengthen the separate collection of recyclable materials in mountainous and remote communities,” she said.

Their operation is expected to contribute to the collection of up to 11,850 tonnes of recyclable materials annually, corresponding to a maximum of 237 tonnes per kiosk. “This represents a substantial boost toward achieving our EU recycling targets,” she concluded.