Newsroom
Odysseas Michaelides has launched fresh criticism against the government and Environment Department over the controversial high-rise development planned for the coastal refinery zone in Larnaca, accusing authorities of “selective clarification and skillful concealment” regarding environmental concerns.
In a statement issued by the “ALMA” movement, Michaelides targeted the Christodoulides administration, highlighting what he described as political responsibility for backing the multi-tower investment. The dispute centers on whether the proposed construction complies with the legally binding Seventh Protocol of the Barcelona Convention, which restricts building within 100 meters of the shoreline.
ALMA posed a series of questions to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment Department, asking whether the towers, some situated on reclaimed shoreline, violate international and EU environmental obligations. The group also questioned whether a proper Coastal Engineering Study and long-term erosion assessments were conducted as part of the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment.
“The Department responded in expected bureaucratic language,” the statement read. “It does not address how its designation of a 60-meter ‘Protected Coastal Zone’ aligns with the Protocol’s 100-meter minimum.”
The group further criticized the Environment Department for relying on a six-month coastal monitoring period to assess erosion risks, calling it “highly doubtful, if not impossible” as a reliable timeframe.
ALMA also accused authorities of “sophistry” for suggesting that environmental approval does not guarantee planning permission, claiming that such a distinction is largely meaningless in practice.
At the heart of the statement lies a broader concern: that political leaders have failed to ratify and enforce the Barcelona Protocol to preserve flexibility for development interests. ALMA called on the Minister of Agriculture to abandon procedural defenses and publicly address the core environmental and legal issues.
“The public deserves transparency, accountability, respect, and responsibility,” the movement concluded.
