Nicosia, Cyprus. Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou on Thursday called on MPs to begin immediate discussions on three priority bills concerning dangerous buildings, jointly owned buildings and the restructuring of civil protection. He made the remarks during a meeting of the House interior committee.
Committee discussion
Ioannou, who had been invited to the committee, said it was imperative to improve the legal framework for removing buildings from the list of dangerous constructions.
He said the meeting was an opportunity to discuss the matter with the new interior committee formed after the May 24 parliamentary elections and expressed his ministry’s readiness to cooperate with the House in finding solutions to issues affecting people’s daily lives.
Dangerous buildings bill
Referring to the bill on dangerous buildings, Ioannou said there was always room for improvement and noted that a bill had already been tabled with the previous parliament.
He said the ministry had suggested to the local district organisations, or EOAs, that they map all dangerous buildings in cooperation with the scientific and technical chamber Etek, create an archive and classify the buildings according to their level of hazard.
Ioannou said not all buildings listed as dangerous needed to be demolished and that many could be repaired.
Jointly owned buildings bill
Ioannou said the bill on jointly owned buildings had first been tabled in 2023 and that an improved version was resubmitted in 2025.
He said objections had been raised by the EOAs regarding the cost of implementing the legislation. According to the estimates cited, implementation would cost about €1.5 million and require 30 new jobs.
Ioannou said the bill would address issues in jointly owned buildings, including disputes between owners, common expenses and maintenance, which could eventually lead to dereliction.
He said the bill introduced clear rights and obligations for owners and tenants, a maintenance fund, an enhanced role for administrative committees, and mandatory insurance for the building and its annexes.