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Four environmental organizations have jointly accused Cyprus’s Forestry Department of systematically violating legally binding environmental conditions related to the controversial road network upgrade in Akamas National Forest Park. In a statement released Monday, Terra Cypria, BirdLife Cyprus, the Cyprus Wildlife Society, and the Initiative for the Protection of Natural Coasts claim that the Department has failed to implement mandatory measures outlined in several official reports and Cabinet decisions.
The groups allege that the Department is disregarding key conditions from the Appropriate Assessment Report (AAR), Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA), and the Supplementary AAR, despite Cabinet orders from December 2023 and March 2024 enforcing their implementation. Of 19 legally binding conditions outlined by the Environment Department in March, only five have reportedly been accepted by the Forestry Department.
Rejected conditions include the removal of retaining walls, reduction of road excavation, environmental relocation of infrastructure, and protection of endangered species such as the European eel. The Department has also failed to comment on requirements such as final construction plans, project timelines, and protective regulations for the Natura 2000 sites within Akamas.
Environmental groups criticize the Department for maintaining that the road works meet environmental standards, despite opposition from a wide range of stakeholders including the President, Cabinet, Environmental Authority, and Parliamentary Environment Committee.
The statement calls on the Minister of Agriculture and Environment to release findings from a recent disciplinary investigation into the project, citing prior administrative probes and a pending audit by the Republic’s Audit Office.
The groups warn that continued non-compliance is delaying project re-evaluation, worsening environmental damage, and jeopardizing the ecological integrity of Akamas, one of Cyprus’s most strictly protected natural areas.
