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- Ελληνικά
The commitment of the Republic of Cyprus to implement all necessary corrective actions for the protection and preservation of the environment was confirmed by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Dr Maria Panayiotou, in her statements after the meeting with the European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Mr Virginijus Sinkevičius. The European Commissioner, for his part, referred to problems that have accumulated over the years, expressing his pleasure that for the Republic of Cyprus the solution of these problems is a top priority.
The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment met this morning with the European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries at the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, in the presence of the Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Cyprus Mrs. Myrto Zambarta, the Commissioner for Environment Mrs. Antonia Theodosiou, the Director General of the Directorate General for Environment of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Mr. Kostas Hadjipanagiotou, as well as other officials.
After the meeting, in a statement to journalists, the Minister, welcoming Mr. Sinkevičius, noted that "both his visit and more generally his dedication to protecting and safeguarding the environment in recent years is very important for the achievement of our common goals in terms of the European Green Deal and climate neutrality."
Dr. Panagiotou informed that: "During the meeting with the Commissioner we focused on issues mainly related to the current legislative applications and our steps towards integrated urban waste management, areas where the cooperation and guidance of the Commissioner's office is essential towards the achievement of our European, as well as our national targets."
Referring to the implementation of the waste management directives, Dr Panagiortou noted that "it remains one of the biggest challenges for Cyprus, given the high generation of waste "As I have informed the Commissioner, we are working intensively on the implementation of the National Strategic Plan for Urban Waste Management 2022-2028," she added.
"It is a fact that we have a lot of work to do until we reach the European targets, which are also targets of the Republic of Cyprus. That is why we asked the Commissioner to share with us good practices that he has already identified at EU level, in order to further strengthen our efforts," the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment stressed.
Then, Dr Panagiotou, listing the outstanding issues on behalf of Cyprus, referred first to the effort to "complete the Decrees for the management of Natura 2000 sites as soon as possible, with the necessary scientific documentation."
"The next outstanding issue is the improvement of the procedures regarding the assessment of projects that may affect Natura 2000 sites, based on the Law on Nature", the Minister pointed out.
Finally, she referred to the third outstanding issue, which concerns the adequacy of the Natura 2000 network.
Regarding the definition of specific conservation objectives and conservation measures for Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), the Minister said that they have informed the Commissioner that "we are working continuously to intensify the process of defining specific conservation objectives and preparing the necessary legislative framework in order to achieve compliance with the Directive as soon as possible."
"I made it clear to the Commissioner that the political will to end any outstanding issues we have and to improve the procedures for assessing projects that fall under due assessment is there," he said.
"As I informed him, I have already given instructions to make those changes that are needed to complete and close all pending issues within a specific timeframe," the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment said.
She noted that "the completion of pending issues is not because of violations, but because protecting the environment and ensuring a balance between environmental protection and development is a top priority for us." "After all, as I have stated many times, no development can be considered development if it is not fully harmonised with the protection of the environment", she continued.
Addressing the European Commissioner, Dr Panagiotou noted that "the challenges we have before us are great in order to reach the level of efficiency and quality desired by all of us". "Your support is very important for the alignment of our national initiatives with the broader EU policies and directives", she underlined.
In conclusion, she reiterated the commitment of the Republic of Cyprus to "implement all necessary corrective actions for the protection and preservation of the environment". "This is also a top priority of the Governance Programme", the Minister stressed.
"We are confident that together we can achieve the ambitious goals set by the European Green Agreement and ensure a sustainable future for Cyprus, the European Union and our entire planet", the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment concluded.
For his part, Mr. Sinkevičius, speaking in English, after thanking the Minister for the meeting, expressed his pleasure to be in Cyprus. He noted that although it is an election period and European elections are coming soon, the present Commission will continue its work until the appointment of the new one. "But nevertheless, there are still ongoing files that will go to the new Commission, following the mandates of the current Commission accordingly," he said. He added that he has discussed these open files with the Minister, particularly the monitoring of the territory, which he said is extremely important for Cyprus.
With the Minister, he also mentioned that "ongoing infringement proceedings were discussed, especially the two that require immediate attention."
Regarding waste management and urban waste water treatment, where there is already a court ruling, the Commissioner expressed his pleasure that "the Minister and her team are treating it as a priority."
Referring to the other ongoing infringement proceedings, the European Commissioner noted that they also require attention. "This is a heavy burden for the Minister and her team," he said. "I understand that these are problems that have accumulated over the years, but they require immediate attention from the Minister's team."
The aim of his visit was also to confirm that the Commission is well informed about Cyprus' political priorities, he said. He noted that a brief reference was also made to the upcoming Cyprus Presidency of the EU Council, estimating that one of the key issues will be water.
"I cannot anticipate the priorities of the next Commission, but water is an urgent issue and it is very likely that it will also be high on the agenda of the Commission," he said, estimating that it will also be among the priorities of the next EU Council Presidencies. "I am sure that this issue will require more and more attention and European decisions to be put in place," the European Commissioner concluded.
(Ephys/EAth/NYAN)
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