Nicosia, Cyprus. Serious issues in the management of the Republic’s mineral resources persist and have affected protected species, including bats and the Natura 2000 network, Cyprus’ audit office said in a report published on Tuesday.
Unresolved problems highlighted six years after previous report
The audit office said the key conclusion of its audit was that, despite six years having passed since the publication of its previous special report, some problems related to the management of the Republic’s mineral wealth remain unresolved.
Audit area adjacent to Akamas protected zones
The area examined in the audit report is adjacent to the special conservation area and the special protection area of the Akamas Peninsula, which is subject to relevant protection laws.
Pending conservation objectives limit reassessment of impacts
According to the report, the definition of conservation objectives, as well as the issuing of decrees for the protection of the habitat and its wild birds, as required by EU and national law, are still pending.
As a result, the report said a comprehensive and fully valid reassessment of the plan cannot be carried out regarding potential impacts on habitats and designation species in relation to examining the possibility of creating a new quarrying area in the Androlikos area.
Delays cited in project completion and Natura 2000 protection
In addition to anticipated consequences of the works, the report cited significant delays in project completion, saying these delays create legal and substantive uncertainty regarding the effective protection of Natura 2000 network sites.
The audit office said that Cyprus had been referred to the European Court of Justice by the European Commission, which found that the Republic had not complied with directive 92/43/EEC on the protection of habitats and had failed to establish relevant conservation objectives.
The audit office said these delays created legal and substantive uncertainty for the effective protection of Natura 2000 network areas.
Licensing delays reported for quarry development applications
The report found similar delays in licensing procedures for 29 applications for planning permission for quarry development submitted from 2020 to 2023.
According to the report, 14 projects were fully examined, five were delayed by up to two years, and ten were delayed for over two years. It said the overall examination time to review permit applications, due to delayed opinions from the departments involved, was 6.8 months.
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