Pafos Live 17 July 2025
On 10 July 2025, the Plenary Session of the House of Representatives voted to replace the Public Swimming Pools Law of 1992 (Law 55(I)/1992) and the Public Swimming Pools Regulations of 1996 (CCP 368/1996).
The legislation, as it were, presented significant implementation problems, as it did not provide for a clear distinction between public and private swimming pools. As a result, any swimming pool serving two or more residential units was classified as public. This entailed the obligation to obtain an operating licence, the existence of a safety supervisor, sanitary facilities and other requirements. This practice made compliance either impossible or economically unprofitable, particularly in small or large private developments with shared or shared swimming pools. The need for revision became even more urgent due to the rapid residential development of recent years, making the modernization of the legal framework a one-way street.
For the first time, the new legislative framework introduces a clear categorisation of swimming pools into Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3, clearly defining the obligations arising from each category, such as the obligation to operate a licence, the required number of safety supervisors, as well as the health and safety measures envisaged. At the same time, the required inspections are reduced on a nationwide basis, as a large number of tanks will be classified in the Type 3 category, for which the inspections will be carried out on a sample basis. Finally, the new legislation clearly separates the functional part from the construction part of the swimming pools. The first is regulated by this law and the relevant regulations, while the construction part is envisaged to be regulated through separate regulations that will be issued under the Roads and Buildings Regulation Law.
The modernization of the legislative framework governing swimming pools and the establishment of clear conditions for their operation fall under the Government's initiative to enhance water safety. Through the implementation of a series of actions, with emphasis on the prevention of accidents and drownings, the initiative aims to ensure the protection of citizens in the aquatic environment.
