The burning issue of marine pollution in the Limassol area occupied the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Finance during the presentation of the budget for 2027 of the Deputy Ministry of Shipping.
The Deputy Director General of the Shipping Deputy Ministry, Lakis Mesimeris, took a clearly self-critical and revealing stance, stressing that "we will be judged by the result" and that it is imperative "to call a spade a spade", openly admitting previous weaknesses and bad practices.
Answering a relevant question posed by AKEL MP Yiannakis Gabriel, Mr. Mesimeris said that the multiple incidents of pollution have been recorded and are of great concern to the society and the citizens of Limassol. He added that there have been gaps and weaknesses in the past as to the final result. However, he assured that the Deputy Ministry has now undertaken the central coordination of all competent bodies, in order to cover the sources of pollution, whether they are terrestrial, marine, or coastal and for the citizen to finally feel that our seas are clean.
In this context, a specific file has already been set up for each action, while discussions are underway with the Ministry of Finance to secure an additional fund of €1 million. An important pillar in this effort is the operation of the Pollution Response Supervision and Coordination Team (ESPC), with an annual operating cost of €100,000, combined with continuous controls and supervision through the National Ship Monitoring and Information System (VTMIS). At the same time, it was clarified that the Deputy Ministry has net control responsibility for coastal vessels, an area where controls are also intensified with an expenditure of €75,000 per year for inspections.
Increase in the Cyprus registry by 27%
The presentation of the budget was made by the Deputy Minister of Shipping, Marina Hadjimanoli, who underlined that the budget for 2027 is in surplus, reflecting the firm commitment to strengthening Cypriot shipping and the shipping ecosystem.
He added that from September 2023 until today, the capacity of the Cypriot-flagged fleet has increased by about 27%, confirming the confidence of the international community.
He underlined that since the beginning of 2026 alone, 119 new ships have been registered, with a total gross tonnage of more than 2,4 million tons.
During the session, other critical issues of the wider maritime policy were also discussed:
• The maritime passenger connection between Cyprus and Greece has been extended until 2027, with a budget of €5,475,000 per year, serving thousands of citizens who find it difficult to travel by air. Mr. Mesimeris and the Deputy Minister stressed that there is no other alternative way of direct maritime interconnection and actions are being taken to continue it.
• The National Cruise Strategy is being promoted with the aim of submitting it for approval to the Council of Ministers before the end of 2026.
• The digital transformation of the Deputy Ministry is progressing with a completion horizon of 2027, while at the same time planning is underway for the construction of a new, ergonomic and energy-upgraded privately owned building to meet housing needs.
