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Political parties are still weighing their positions before Parliament votes on Tuesday on legislation introducing a tax on municipal waste sent to landfill, with only two parties having already confirmed they will vote against the proposal.
Under the bill, landfill operators would pay a charge of €10 per tonne of municipal waste until the end of 2027. From 2028, the fee would increase by €5 per tonne each year, eventually reaching €70 per tonne.
The proposal forms part of Cyprus' green tax reform and is intended to cut the amount of municipal waste ending up in landfill. Around 68% of municipal waste is currently disposed of this way, while the country's target is to reduce that figure to 10% by 2035, in line with European Union requirements.
The legislation is also linked to Cyprus' Recovery and Resilience Plan. Approval is required before the country can access €23 million from the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility. Together with €25 million already allocated through the THALEIA programme, total funding available for waste management projects would reach €48 million.
So far, ELAM and Alma have announced they will reject the bill.
ELAM argues the tax will not solve Cyprus' waste problem and believes the country could still struggle to meet European obligations even after receiving EU funding. The party also says the financial burden would ultimately fall on households.
Alma says citizens should not be expected to cover the cost of years of shortcomings in waste management policy. The party argues Cyprus still lacks the infrastructure needed for the tax to encourage better recycling and believes the measure would simply increase costs rather than change behaviour.
The remaining major parties have yet to make a final decision.
DISY will determine its position during a parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday morning. Party representatives have indicated they are unlikely to support the proposal, arguing that the "Pay As You Throw" system should have been introduced before any landfill tax.
AKEL has also postponed its final decision until Tuesday, saying it is reluctant to back additional taxation while government action on waste management has fallen short in previous years.
DIKO says it will review all available information before deciding how its MPs will vote.
The Direct Democracy movement has also delayed its decision, pointing to limited time for consideration and questioning whether the authorities responsible for implementing the measure have the necessary facilities in place. The party believes additional costs would eventually be passed on to the public and says better waste separation in homes and businesses should come first if Cyprus is to reduce landfill disposal effectively.
