Deliberations of the Committee on Petitions in 2023

Tabled by Ana Miranda Paz

Added: 2d. Commends the essential work done by the Committee on Petitions on the petitions concerning the Akamas Peninsula, the most biodiverse area in Cyprus, which has for decades experienced repeated systemic violations of the Habitats Directive1a and the Birds Directive1b, in an overall context of a lack of effective and legally binding measures to protect this area and in view of recent plans brought forward by the Cypriot competent authorities, with devastating effects on the area’s very fragile natural ecosystems, in violation of EU environmental legislation; underlines that, following the Committee on Petitions’ work on this matter, on 13 March 2024 the Commission decided to bring Cyprus before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for the Cypriot authorities’ failure to comply with the Habitats Directive; regrets that in the time that has passed since that decision – over one year – the Commission has not submitted a file to the CJEU, and has thus failed to officially start legal proceedings; ______________ 1a Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/1992/43/oj). 1b Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds (OJ L 20, 26.1.2010, p. 7 (ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2009/147/oj).

Wording as published by the EP, in English. PE772.578v01-00