Ministry renamed to Interior and Civil Protection
All crisis management services in Cyprus will be brought under the interior ministry, which will be renamed the interior and civil protection ministry, President Nikos Christodoulides announced on Wednesday.
Undersecretary to the president Irene Piki confirmed after the cabinet meeting that the decision implements the government’s 2023 plan to reform the national emergency and crisis management framework through the creation of a national civil protection mechanism. She said the move ensures a more effective response system, aligned with European and international practices.
Speaking at the start of a cabinet meeting at the presidential palace, the president said the decision marks one of the government’s key reforms and stressed that modernising the state remains a central priority of his administration.
The president explained that the reform aims to create a modern and effective national civil protection mechanism, in line with European and international standards.
The first step was taken in October 2023, when the government secured financial support from the European Commission and technical assistance from France.
According to Piki, this project, titled Reform, Development and Strengthening of the Civil Protection System in Cyprus, is being implemented with the support of a French organisation. She highlighted the advisory role of professor Giorgos Boustras, the president’s special adviser on crisis management and civil protection, in shaping the reform.
Under the new decision, the fire service and forest protection staff from the forestry department will be transferred to the new ministry as will the civil defence.
The Fire Service will move from the justice ministry, while forestry staff engaged in fire protection will transfer from the agriculture ministry. A new post of national coordinator will also be created, appointed by the cabinet, to oversee all services under the ministry, including Civil Defence. The cabinet further decided that national and operational disaster response plans will be updated to reflect the new framework.
This change brings all relevant services together under a single authority, rather than across several ministries.
According to Christodoulides, this restructuring will strengthen coordination and improve crisis management.
By merging the fire service, forest firefighting units and civil defence under one ministry, the government aims to establish a unified National Civil Protection Mechanism.
Christodoulides said the reform ends the fragmentation of responsibilities and aligns Cyprus with the structures of other states.
Piki clarified that the police will not be transferred from the justice ministry, though their role in updated national and operational plans may be strengthened. She also explained that the new national coordinator role does not cancel the current responsibilities of Andreas Gregoriou, as the position will be included in the 2025 revised budget. She added that the mechanism will be overseen administratively by the permanent secretary of the interior and civil protection ministry, with the possibility of creating a second permanent secretary post.
The undersecretary dismissed suggestions that the reform contradicts last year’s transfer of aerial firefighting assets to the National Guard, saying both moves serve coordination needs. She also noted that additional services, such as the Meteorology Department, will not transfer but may work under cooperation agreements. The government will assess whether staff from other departments should be seconded to the mechanism.
On the timeline, Piki said legislative changes, including amendments to the fire service law, and parliamentary approval of the revised budget, expected in October or November, are required. She stressed that the government will work intensively to complete the reform as soon as possible, ideally before next summer’s fire season.
