Discussion on a draft law on the operation of bars, restaurants and other entertainment venues remain at an impasse, chairman of the House commerce committee Kyriacos Hadjiyiannis said on Tuesday after a meeting.

He confirmed that about 80 proposals and comments had been submitted on the bill but the positions of the involved parties were still far apart, leaving no clear path forward.

He said there had been no meaningful consultation at executive level, which, he said, continued to limit the committee’s ability to make progress.

The deputy tourism ministry, he added, had shown no flexibility despite the volume of feedback submitted.

He warned that the future of the bill was now uncertain, adding that the ministry had distanced itself from the process at a time when cooperation was needed.

Under the new framework, seven key changes are proposed. These include different operating hours for different types of venue, scrapping strict building criteria and the requirement for operators to submit price lists for approval.

As the committee is also responsible for energy, Hadjiyiannis raised concerns about renewable energy, saying there was an ongoing effort by several parties to slow the penetration of renewable energy sources into the grid.

According to the committee chairman, these included applicants, administrators, the Cyprus energy regulatory authority (Cera), and other bodies.

He argued that the delays in connecting projects and managing system load had a direct effect on electricity prices.

He said the committee was working to remove obstacles and accelerate the connection of renewable projects, warning that prolonged delays were harming households and businesses.