Newsroom
Cyprus’ parliament has approved tougher fines for waste-related offenses, hoping steeper penalties will help curb the growing problem of illegal landfills, though many lawmakers warned that higher fines alone will not clean up the mess.
The House of Representatives on Thursday passed the Waste (Amendment) Law of 2025 with 29 votes in favor and four against. The law significantly increases on-the-spot fines for illegal waste dumping and poor waste management amid mounting concerns about environmental damage, public health risks, and fires linked to unauthorized dumpsites.
Under the new rules, inspectors can now issue extrajudicial fines of up to €8,000, double the previous €4,000 limit. Fines imposed by a chief inspector also double, rising from €20,000 to €40,000, depending on the seriousness of the violation.
But during a heated debate, MPs from across the political spectrum made it clear they doubt penalties alone will solve what many described as a deeply rooted and increasingly dangerous problem.
AKEL MP Nikos Kettiros painted a grim picture, saying Cyprus is home to around 800 illegal dumpsites. He warned that without serious inspections and enforcement, higher fines will make little difference. According to Kettiros, the handling of demolition waste has effectively fallen “into the hands of the underworld,” with inspectors facing intimidation and threats.
Several MPs linked illegal dumping directly to the growing risk of wildfires. Nicosia MP Alexandra Attalidou warned that unregulated dumps are not just an environmental issue but a public safety threat, accusing criminal networks of controlling the sector. She urged the government to clean up all illegal dumps by summer and confront those behind the intimidation.
The debate repeatedly returned to the influence of criminal networks. AKEL MP Christos Christofides warned that if illegality is not tackled head-on, more sectors will fall under the control of the “underworld,” gaining not only economic power but political influence as well.
Even supporters of the law acknowledged its limits. President of the Ecologists Stavros Papadoutris said Parliament cannot act as the police, recalling cases where inspectors investigating illegal dumping were threatened. DISY MP Prodromos Alampritis stressed that waste management is as much about culture and education as it is about fines.
Several lawmakers pointed to last summer’s fires, some of which started in garbage dumps, as a stark reminder of what is at stake. DISY MP Savvia Orphanidou called the higher penalties important but urged stronger funding to help communities clean up industrial and dumping areas.
Closing the debate, House Speaker Annita Dimitriou underlined that stricter penalties must go hand in hand with education and a broader environmental culture if Cyprus is to make real progress.
