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The European Commission has decided to drag Cyprus back to the European Court of Justice, this time over a long-standing failure to clean up two problematic landfills that have been sitting idle but unsafe for years.
The landfills in question, one in Vati (Limassol) and another in Kotsiatis (Nicosia), were ruled illegal by the EU’s top court more than a decade ago, in 2013. Since then, Cyprus has stopped sending trash to those sites, but the problem is far from solved. The sites haven’t been properly sealed or rehabilitated as required by EU law, which means they still pose serious threats to people’s health and the surrounding environment.
“We’ve been talking about this for over ten years. The clock has run out. These sites need to be made safe, not next year, not next month, but now.”
Even though no new waste has been dumped at either site since around 2017, authorities have repeatedly delayed taking the necessary steps to shut them down safely. The European Commission says enough is enough.
“This is not just about bureaucratic red tape,” a Commission source noted. “These sites still leak toxic substances and methane gas. That’s a real hazard for nearby communities and the wider environment.”
What’s the issue?
Under EU waste rules, specifically the Landfill Directive, landfills must follow strict safety standards to prevent contamination of groundwater, soil and air. They must also be phased out as Europe moves toward more sustainable waste management practices like recycling and reuse.
But in the case of Cyprus, the Commission says the government has not held up its end of the bargain. Despite the 2013 court ruling and a formal warning letter in 2017, the two dump sites still haven’t been closed down properly. Brussels now wants the European Court to impose financial penalties to push Cyprus into action.
More waste trouble for Cyprus
This isn’t the first time Cyprus has been in hot water with the EU over waste. In fact, there are two other open cases:
One from 2021, for not treating waste properly before dumping it in two other areas.
Another from this year, for missing EU targets on recycling packaging and electronic waste.
Together, these cases paint a picture of a country that’s falling behind on key environmental standards, and that could cost Cypriot taxpayers.
Why it matters
Letting old landfills rot without sealing them properly may seem like a distant, technical issue, but it has real-life consequences. Leaking chemicals can poison local water supplies, while methane gas from rotting waste is a major contributor to climate change. And every year these sites remain unfinished, the risk grows.
The Commission also warns that failing to clean up landfills means missing out on valuable materials that could be recycled instead of buried.
What happens next?
The case will now return to the Court of Justice of the EU, and if Cyprus is found in breach again, fines could follow, likely paid by the state and ultimately by taxpayers. Officials in Nicosia have yet to respond publicly to the Commission’s move.
In the meantime, environmental advocates are urging faster action.
“We’ve been talking about this for over ten years,” one civil society group commented. “The clock has run out. These sites need to be made safe, not next year, not next month, but now.”
