Filenews 10 January 2026 - by Angelos Nikolaou
Cyprus is trying to turn the page on waste management once and for all, setting as a priority the end of the chronic deviation from EU legislation. After the successful restoration of 52 Uncontrolled Waste Disposal Sites in the districts of Paphos, Larnaca and Famagusta, the focus now falls on the districts of Nicosia and Limassol, where the problem remains open.
Specifically, by 2013, 123 uncontrolled landfills had been identified, all of which were taken out of operation with the exception of two: the Kotsiatis uncontrolled landfill (Nicosia) and the Vati uncontrolled landfill (Limassol). The Kotsiati and Vati landfills stopped accepting waste in 2019. The restoration of the remaining uncontrolled landfills in the districts of Paphos, Larnaca and Famagusta (52 in number) has been completed, while the procedures for another 71 uncontrolled landfills have been launched, of which 24 are located in Nicosia and 47 in Limassol.
However, despite the closure of the specific landfills, to this day they have still not been restored, as a result of which the European Commission took the decision to refer Cyprus to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), requesting the imposition of financial penalties for non-compliance with a previous decision of the Court regarding the Landfill Directive. The Commission stresses that Cyprus has failed to implement the 2013 CJEU ruling, while noting that it has repeatedly postponed compliance timelines. For the Commission, these backlogs continue to pose a risk to public health and the environment, according to the European authorities.
According to the official planning of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment (YGAAP), which was approved by the Council of Ministers, the country is called upon to manage the restoration of a total of 71 sites in these two provinces, with the total budget of the projects reaching €70.8 million.
Restoration proceeds at different speeds, depending on the severity and complexity of each space. In the Nicosia District, there are 24 sites to be restored.
Work on Kotsiatis, the largest landfill site in the province, is already underway, with the aim of completing the basic works by February 2026. For the remaining 23 sites in Nicosia, the realistic completion time is set at April 2026.
In the Limassol District, there are 47 sites to be restored. This is the most complex part of the project. For 19 sites, work is expected to start in early 2026 after delays due to appeals and be completed in the summer of 2027.
The big thorn remains the landfill in Vati, along with 27 other smaller spaces. Due to the need for additional projects (sewage tanks, pumping stations, utilization of reclaimed water), the schedule has been extended.
Despite the challenges and technical difficulties that have arisen, especially in Vati, the Republic of Cyprus has committed itself before the European Commission to a strict plan.
It is noted that one of the reasons that led to the significant delay to date and differentiation of the older schedules given to the Commission was that, while the WDD was at an advanced stage of preparing the required studies, problems arose with the nine existing sewage tanks in an area adjacent to the uncontrolled landfill in Vati. It was deemed appropriate that their restoration be included in the contract for the restoration of the uncontrolled landfill site in Vati. As a result, it became necessary to carry out additional studies for the rehabilitation of the sewage tanks, the creation of a sewage sludge disposal site, the construction of a reclaimed water storage tank from the biological station in Vati, the construction of two pumping stations (irrigation and transport of the reclaimed water to the tank) and pipelines for the transport of reclaimed water. This resulted in a significant delay in the publication of the relevant construction tender.
The full completion of all projects, including the accompanying infrastructure and irrigation systems, is expected in June 2029.
The government emphasizes that the observance of these dates is crucial for Cyprus to avoid further sanctions from the EU. and to stop holding the "negative lead" in waste issues. The projects are funded by the Cohesion Policy Programme "THALIA", underlining the country's environmental commitment to sustainable development.
The Ministry of Agriculture informed the Commission of the integrated planning it is implementing, as well as of the measures taken to put an end to the infringement within the timetable set, which is being tried to be followed without deviation.
It is noted that the milestone given by the Republic of Cyprus during the meeting with the European Commission, on 23/07/2025, for the compliance of the Republic of Cyprus with Directive 1999/31/EC for the restoration of the Vati landfill site is February 2028, a milestone which must remain as it is considered that it can be achieved.
Delays in the timetable set in Brussels
The promotion of the projects related to the restoration of the 24 uncontrolled landfills of the Nicosia District is implemented by the WDD. The construction contract of the Kotsiatis landfill was announced in September 2021, with a final deadline for the submission of bids on 11/01/2022. The award of the contract to the successful economic operator took place on 02/06/2022, while the start date of the contract was set for 22/8/2022. This contract had a planned duration of 24 months, not including projects related to the energy utilization of biogas (option), with the completion date of the contract on 22/08/2024. It is noted that the milestone set for the compliance of the Republic of Cyprus with Directive 1999/31/EC regarding the restoration of uncontrolled landfills is February 2026.
The construction contract for the restoration of the 23 remaining uncontrolled landfills in the Nicosia District was announced in May 2023, with a final deadline for the submission of tenders on 27/06/2023. The award of the contract to the successful economic operator took place on 13/12/2023, while its start date was set on 17/01/2024. This contract had a projected completion period of 18 months, with a completion date of July 2025. For this contract, a time extension has been secured until the end of January 2026, while the WDD with current data estimates that the realistic completion time is by the end of April 2026.
The promotion of projects related to the restoration of the 47 uncontrolled landfills in the Limassol district is implemented by the WDD. The construction contract for the restoration of the 19 remaining uncontrolled landfills in the Limassol district was announced in May 2025, with a final deadline for the submission of tenders on 17/06/2025. However, there was an appeal to the Tender Review Authority and at this stage we are at the stage of completing the appeal process. Due to the above appeal, the WDD estimates the start of the construction contract at the beginning of 2026 and taking into account its 18-month duration, the completion of the project is estimated in the period July-August 2027.
Regarding the construction contract for the restoration of the Vati landfill, it is emphasized that it initially included the restoration of the Vati uncontrolled landfill and another 27 uncontrolled landfills to be transported to Vati. It was found that 19 of them have now undergone physical rehabilitation, while for the remaining eight there is still the need to transport their waste to the Vati landfill. It is estimated that it will be completed by February 2028, while the entire project including the reclaimed water storage tank and pumping station will be completed in June 2029.
