EPP urges timely completion of Cyprus’ Schengen accession

Nicosia, Cyprus. The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) urged on Thursday that Cyprus’ entry into the border-free Schengen area be completed promptly. The appeal came as the group concluded a summit bringing together its heads of government and representatives of affiliated political parties.

EPP backs remaining accession steps

The EPP said it welcomed the European Commission’s favourable evaluation of Cyprus’ application for full Schengen membership, alongside the start of related discussions within the Council of the European Union. It said completing the outstanding steps promptly should be treated as a priority.

President Nikos Christodoulides attended Thursday’s summit.

Migration Deputy Minister Nicholas Ioannides said over the weekend that he now expected Cyprus to join Schengen next year. The government had previously hoped to finish the accession process no later than this year.

In May last year, Christodoulides said all necessary technical preparations would be completed before 2025 ended, enabling Cyprus to enter Schengen in 2026.

Commission support and member-state reservations

Despite the commission’s support for accession, member states appear unconvinced. The Cyprus Mail was informed that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had personally been a leading force behind the effort.

A diplomat, who requested anonymity, said the longstanding view throughout Europe had been that Cyprus could not enter Schengen before the Cyprus problem was resolved. According to the diplomat, von der Leyen had since told every member state that Cyprus must be admitted and that they needed to accept its accession.

Reservations have nevertheless been expressed about whether the plans are workable and how membership could affect the Cyprus problem.

Green Line arrangements remain a concern

Part of the concern centres on the Cypriot government’s position that Schengen’s new digital entry/exit system would not operate at the nine crossings linking the island’s two sides. Many consider that position impractical.

Those concerns raise the prospect that Cyprus would probably have to turn the Green Line effectively into a hard border, or that Europe would face an administrative failure in monitoring people’s movements into and out of Schengen.

Against that background, the Council of the EU’s justice and home affairs (JHA) council left Cyprus’ possible accession off the agenda of its latest meeting, held at the start of this month.