Filenews 6 February 2026
The Plenary Session of the Parliament passed the Waste (Amendment) Law of 2025, which increases out-of-court fines for offenses related to waste management, in an effort to address the acute problem of illegal landfills and the risks to the environment and public safety.
The law was passed with 29 votes in favour and 4 against by DIKO MPs Zacharias Koulias and Pavlos Mylonas and ELAM MPs Linos Papagiannis and Sotiris Ioannou.
Under the new legislation, the out-of-court fine that the inspector can impose is increased from €4,000 to €8,000, while the corresponding fine of the chief inspector is doubled from €20,000 to €40,000, depending on the severity of the offense.
"Cyprus was filled with illegal garbage dumps"
During the discussion, the position of AKEL MP Nikos Kettiros was intense, speaking of about 800 illegal garbage dumps throughout Cyprus, arguing that the increase in fines will not work without substantial controls. As he mentioned, the management of demolition waste has passed "into the hands of the underworld", with inspectors fearing or threatening, warning that without control the problem will grow.
Ecologists MP Charalambos Theopemptou stressed that waste management is one of the most serious problems in the country, noting that policies are being implemented that "lead nowhere", while he described the existence of small garbage dumps even in cities as a shame. As he said, the Government should see what it will do to improve this situation.
References to the underworld and bullying
Nicosia MP Alexandra Attalidou spoke of the control of garbage from the underworld, linking the phenomenon to the risks of fires from illegal garbage dumps. He criticized the competent Minister for answering questions about waste management with "stupid generalities". He called on the government to clean up all illegal sites by the summer and deal with the criminal networks that intimidate.
ELAM MP Linos Papagiannis expressed the position that the state has failed over time to deal with offenses through the simple increase of penalties. As he mentioned, Cyprus is a small country where there are complaints, however experience shows that such legislative regulations are not implemented in practice. For this reason, he stated that he will not support the bill, estimating that it will lead to a law that will remain unenforceable.
AKEL MP Aristos Damianou stressed that it is scientifically and documented that illegal garbage dumps are the main cause of fires, noting, however, that society does not comply. He underlined that, although it has been proven internationally that the amount of the penalty can act as a deterrent, the serious deficits of the state – both at the central and local level – remain. As he mentioned, the increase in penalties has a symbolism, but without education and a change of mentality, the problems will not be solved.
AKEL MP Christos Christofides said that, whether the discussion is about fireworks or garbage, the conclusion always ends up in the underworld. He warned that if the problem of illegality and the underworld is not addressed, more and more sectors will be occupied and controlled by criminal networks. As he noted, as this phenomenon expands, it also acquires political power, making the problem even more difficult to deal with. He stressed that, in order to provide definitive solutions, the state must clash and subjugate the underworld.
Efficacy concerns
The President of the Ecologists, Stavros Papadoutris, stated that it is the second time in the same day that citizens hear the Parliament vote on regulations, while at the same time admitting that they will not be implemented, describing the situation as problematic. He underlined that the Parliament has an obligation to legislate, however MPs cannot be turned into police officers. At the same time, he referred to a specific complaint about illegal waste disposal, pointing out that an inspector who investigated it received threats from the underworld.
DISY MP Prodromos Alambritis pointed out that the issue of waste management is not only a matter of legislation and penalties, but also of culture and education, stressing the need to educate citizens to show greater respect for the place and the environment.
EDEK MP Marinos Sizopoulos said that the Parliament remains "a spectator in the same play", stressing that serious social problems are not solved only through repression. As he noted, the right approach should start with prevention, followed by proper management and then repression, while in Cyprus the opposite has been done over time. He noted the need for a change of mentality both by the state and by citizens and society in general.
DISY MP Savvia Orfanidou described the increase in penalties as important, despite the fact that there are lags in the implementation of the legislation. He referred to the DISY initiative on the issue, which emerged after the fires that broke out in the summer, pointing out that several of them started from garbage dumps. He stressed that prevention must work more effectively and referred to a request by the community of Paliometocho for the cleaning of the industrial area, which was not satisfied due to lack of funds. As he underlined, this fund should be strengthened in order to give financial support to the communities of all provinces for the cleaning of such areas.
DIKO MP Pavlos Mylonas raised concerns about the change in the behaviour of citizens, wondering what it is that has changed so that we no longer love our neighbourhood and our place, linking it to the increase in garbage.
The President of the Parliament, Annita Dimitriou, highlighted the importance of education and the cultivation of environmental culture, underlining that additional steps are required in addition to the tightening of penalties, in order to effectively address the problem.
CNA
