The Republic of Cyprus is being taken to the courts of Luxembourg, as the European Commission decided today to refer it to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) due to serious and systematic deficiencies in waste management and treatment.
With this referral, Cyprus is facing the imposition of significant financial fines by the European Court of Justice, at a time when the European Union produces a total of 2.5 billion tons of waste annually (about 5 tons per citizen) and is intensifying the pressure for a transition to the circular economy.
The Commission's decision sends a message to the Cypriot authorities, as it is found that the efforts made in recent years are considered completely insufficient to comply with the EU environmental directives.
According to official data from the European Commission, 21% of the waste generated in Cyprus ends up in landfills without having undergone any prior treatment.
This practice violates the Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC), which requires the mandatory treatment of all garbage before it is buried, with the aim of protecting the soil, groundwater and air quality.
It also violates the Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC), which prohibits uncontrolled disposal and requires the creation of modern recycling and recovery infrastructure.
The European Commission points out that Cyprus has failed to establish a comprehensive and appropriate network of waste management facilities that makes use of Best Available Techniques.
At the same time, it is found that the existing capacity of treatment plants in the country is completely insufficient to cover the volume of mixed municipal waste produced by citizens and businesses.
The history of violations:
December 2021: Letter of formal notice sent by the European Commission.
December 2024: Reasoned Opinion issued due to non-compliance.
October 2026: Final decision on referral to the Court of Justice of the EU.
Together with Greece on the stool
Cyprus is not the only country referred to the CJEU on this issue. The same decision includes Greece, where the Commission identified serious violations in 66 of the 81 active landfills with the non-compliance rate reaching 81%.
