Reaching five per cent in 2026, undeclared work has dropped by 10 per cent since 2016, Labour Minister Marinos Mousiouttas said on Tuesday.

“The issue remains a complex challenge that undermines workers’ rights, distorts fair competition and deprives national economies of substantial revenue,” he said, speaking at a conference on fair labour mobility on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the European platform for combatting undeclared work in Larnaca.

Mousiouttas stressed that undeclared work was not only an “economic necessity”, but “a matter of social justice and institutional responsibility”.

He emphasised the crucial role of the platform for combatting undeclared work in Europe, describing it as a “key mechanism” for national and European cooperation on the matter.

“The platform has evolved into a key European mechanism for strengthening cooperation between competent national authorities and for facilitating more effective cooperation between member states in combatting undeclared work across the European Union,” he said.

Mousiouttas added that the platform’s tools have contributed significantly to the upgrading of the Cypriot labour inspection system by supporting the development of necessary technical expertise, improved inspection processes and particularly the reduction of the amount of undeclared work from 15 to five per cent within the past ten years.

“Strengthening cooperation between member states remains essential to ensure that labour mobility within the EU is based on transparency, equal treatment and effective protection of both workers and businesses,” he concluded.