Filenews 17 February 2026 - by Angelos Nikolaou
A crucial battle for the future of the Cypriot countryside is expected to culminate today, in the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture. At the center is the proposal for a law by AKEL MPs (G. Gavriel, A. Pasiourtides and V. Fakontis), which seeks a strict ban on the installation of commercial units of RES on land of high agricultural and environmental value.
The proposal comes in response to the ever-increasing cementing of rural areas by photovoltaic parks.
The Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture is called upon today to decide whether to proceed with the legislative ban or whether to leave the regulation to the urban planning Order 1/2024 of the Minister of the Interior.
According to the revised text of the proposal, the installation of RES for commercial purposes is expressly prohibited in five main categories:
• Land of High Natural Value: As mapped by the Department of Environment
• Fertile and irrigated land: After an inspection by the Department of Agriculture.
• Land consolidation areas: Land that has received state investment or is irrigated by government projects.
• Urban Protection Zones.
• "Natura 2000" areas: Special protection areas for flora and fauna.
The proposal clarifies that the possibility of installing photovoltaics for own use by farmers is not affected, ensuring that the primary sector will be able to reduce its energy costs.
The environmental foundation Terra Cypria fully supports the amendment, even calling for its immediate implementation with the publication in the Newspaper of the Republic, excluding only those units that have already secured a Planning Permit.
In the same vein, the Cyprus Hunting Federation (KOK & DAZ), which in a letter characterizes the passage of the law as an "imperative need" for the protection of the environment, natural resources, agriculture, livestock, wildlife and hunting.
The objections of the ministries
Despite the agreement on the principles, the relevant ministries express serious reservations about the method of regulation:
Ministry of the Interior – Department of Urban Planning: They argue that the location should be regulated through Order 1/2024 and not through the law on RES. The areas within which the installation of renewable energy sources for commercial purposes may be allowed are determined in accordance with the provisions of the Development Plans and the relevant Orders of the Minister of Interior, which are issued under the provisions of the Town and Country Planning Law and when defining these areas, the need to preserve agricultural activity and/or fertile agricultural land must be taken into account, as well as the commitments made by the Republic in the field of renewable energy sources, as a member state of the European Union.
Ministry of Energy: Expresses disagreement with the abolition of agro-photovoltaics, stressing that "dual land use" (cultivation and energy at the same time) is the best solution. It points out that there are monitoring mechanisms and procedures which entail significant costs for the owner/farmer/investor in case there is no dual use of land.
Ministry of Agriculture – Department of Agriculture: The Ministry promotes a ban on the installation of both photovoltaics and agro-photovoltaics, for commercial purposes, in areas of irrigated land consolidation and dry land consolidation and in areas irrigated by government work, since they are areas with fertile/productive land and the state has invested in these areas with infrastructure projects and land remodelling.
Legal Service: Sounds the alarm about Cyprus' European commitments, noting that it must be ensured that the country will meet the EU's goals despite the restrictions. It warns of the risk of compensation being paid to landowners if the restriction is considered "substantial damage" (Article 23 of the Constitution).
The pressure for land is evident in the official data of the Ministry of Energy. Specifically, the installed RES capacity is 1,160 MW (of which 990 MW are photovoltaic, 158 MW wind and 12 MW biomass). At the same time, 221 applications are pending to secure planning permits for photovoltaic parks, with a total capacity of 1,092 MW. In addition, 45 storage projects are in the process of obtaining a planning permit.
