Organising car races in the Paphos state forest, a Natura 2000 special protection zone, violates both national and EU legislation on nature and biodiversity conservation, environmental organisation Terra Cypria said on Friday.

The group called on the agriculture ministry to cancel the rally, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, in the areas of Anadiou, Stavros tis Psokas, Aftoullina, and Argaka.

“Organising a rally in the main state forest of Paphos may bring about the involvement of the European Commission, while the Republic of Cyprus is facing an ongoing infringement procedure, due to the failure to submit dozens of activities, projects and plans to a special ecological assessment, with a visible risk of referring the ongoing infringement procedure to the EU court of justice,” it said.

The rally consists of four special dirt track stages, covering a total of 284km.

Paphos forest is a protected zone due to its 15 types of natural habitats and its diverse wildlife, including endangered hawks, owls, and the endemic mouflon. Terra Cypria noted that these habitats have already been significantly reduced by development, mining, and recreational activities such as camping, mountain climbing, hiking, and cycling- let alone a high-speed car race through the forest.

The organisation added that the rally was being held without submitting a special ecological assessment or a screening report, despite it taking place during the breeding season and over the objections of both the Forestry Department and the Game Fund.

Additionally, exceptionally high temperatures are forecast for the weekend, further increasing the risk of wildfires, Terra Cypria warned.

Meanwhile, the Cyprus Automobile Association said Aphrodite Rally 2025 had obtained all necessary permits.