Members of Parliament expect answers during today’s joint session of the Parliamentary Committees on Interior, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Environment regarding the recent wildfire in mountainous Limassol.

This is the second session dedicated to the issue. According to the Chair of the Interior Committee, a third meeting will likely be needed to complete parliamentary oversight.

Speaking to CNA on Tuesday, Mr. Damianos noted that while ministers presented their positions during the first meeting on August 5, Friday’s session will give the floor to other stakeholders. “This will not be a superficial discussion but one of substance,” he stressed.

He estimated that a third session will be scheduled in mid-September, after which the process will conclude with the preparation of a parliamentary report.

When asked if any of the numerous questions raised during the first session had already been answered, he said no answers have yet been received and that they are expected during Friday’s discussion.

Speaking to CNA, the Chair of the Environment Committee, Charalambos Theopemptou, said they await answers to the many questions raised previously. He emphasized the importance of satisfactory responses particularly regarding restoration, protection of the affected areas, and planning for natural regeneration.

He stressed the need for coordinated restoration efforts, noting that most affected land is privately owned. Anti-erosion works, he added, are urgent.

Meanwhile, the Chair of the Agriculture Committee, Yiannakis Gavriel, highlighted the necessity of planning and designing restoration projects in the burned areas. He also underlined the need for immediate relief for those affected, alongside long-term measures to support rural communities.

He stated that binding incentives should be introduced to ensure that people remain in rural areas, while also facilitating the activities of those who live there—for example, by registering agricultural roads. He also stressed reducing bureaucracy to simplify procedures, especially in affected regions but also across rural Cyprus.

Friday’s session will bring together a wide range of officials:

• Ministers of Interior, Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Defense, and Justice

• Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy

• Representatives from the Ministries of Labor and Social Insurance, Health, the Legal Service, Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, and Deputy Ministry of Tourism

• The Auditor General

Also invited are:

• The Chief of Police, the Fire Service Commander, the Chief of the National Guard, the Commander of the Disaster Response Unit (EMAK), the Director of the Forest Department, the Civil Defense Commissioner, and representatives of the Game and Fauna Service

• Local authorities from affected regions, including community council presidents, the Acting District Officer of Limassol, the District Officer of Paphos, and heads of District Local Government Organizations for Limassol and Paphos

• Representatives of the Union of Municipalities, the Union of Communities, and the Commissioner for Mountain Community Development

Additionally, environmental and agricultural organizations, the Pancyprian Volunteer Coordinating Council, and the SupportCY Volunteer Corps have been invited.