Cyprus has set in motion a complete plan for the reclamation of waste management operations and facilities and is optimistic that an EU fine can be averted, director of the Environment Department, Theodoros Mesimeris said on Thursday.

Mesimeris was speaking to the CyBC in the wake of latest outcome in the country’s dire waste-management situation, with Cyprus having been referred to the EU Court of Justice for its repeated failure to comply with landfill and other waste management directives, and notably for the atrocious state of the largest landfill sites of Vati, intended to service Limassol, and Kotsiatis in Nicosia.

“For the first time, we have in place a wholistic plan for handling all waste streams and for deterring illegal waste-disposal practices,” Mesimeris said.

He said the plan foresees reclamation and upgrading of management operations in Kotsiatis and for the whole Nicosia district (including 71 other landfill sites) during 2026, and for Vati, (including 47 other Limassol sites), by the beginning of the same year, with a complete revamp expected to be effected by 2029.

Clarifying the history that led up to the current undesirable state-of-affairs, Mesimeris explained that waste-management had initially been the responsibility of the interior ministry and was subsequently transferred to the agriculture ministry.

Currently the responsibility for reclamation of failed waste-management sites and operations is assigned to the water development department (WDD), with the environment department assisting in the task, he said.

The comprehensive blueprint, including timeframes for tenders, had first been presented in August 2024, and it is expected that outlining this to the EU will be sufficient to avoid financial repercussions.

“I consider that the actions already underway to dialogue with the EU will have the result of admission by the EU that a plan exists and is being carried out,” Mesimeris said.

Speaking on the same programme, Green’s MP and environment committee chair Charalambos Theopemptou did not second such optimism.

“Our waste management problems are immense,” he said, noting that aside from Nicosia and Limassol, Paphos has a system where untreated waste is sent directly to a landfill with no processing whatsoever.

Moreover, organic waste was supposed to have been separated at source since January 2024, which is also not in place, he said.

Other failings include the lack of compliance with packaging directives, a dearth of recycling activity, and no management of electronic and other specialised waste.

“I don’t think we have a lot of credible excuses to put before the EU for the [20 odd years] of inactivity,” the MP said.