Illegal installations serving restaurant activities were built using dissolved substances, and a large number of seaside sunbeds with umbrellas and outdoor lighting were installed within the Beach Protection Zone (BPZ).
The area houses the most significant cave, from Akrotiri Limassol to Cape Greco, for the rarest marine mammal in Europe, the Mediterranean monk seal Monachus monachus, as well as for the Egyptian fruit bat (Rouseltus aegyptiacus), which was successfully restored in 2020.
This case is documented in the report of the Audit Service for the Directorate General for the Environment, which refers to arbitrary interventions and illegal constructions in Agios Georgios Alamanos, Limassol Province.
It is noted that a process was initiated to convert part of this specific area into a Marine Protected Area, and based on the provisions of the Habitats Directive and the Law on the Protection and Management of Nature and Wildlife (Law 153(I)/2003), the process to designate the marine area of Agios Georgios Alamanos and part of the beach as a proposed Site of Community Importance began, aiming for its inclusion in the “Natura 2000” network, primarily for the protection of the Mediterranean monk seal.
The Department of Fisheries and Marine Research expressed concerns about the arbitrary interventions and illegal constructions in the said restaurant, due to its proximity to the significant cave for the Mediterranean monk seal, as additional potential pressures from increased human presence in the area, combined with the absence of provisions regarding lighting and disturbance, could negatively impact the presence of the animals.
The Limassol District Administration informed the Audit Service, among other things, that it identified extensive interventions in the BPZ and the erection of illegal constructions, and after giving a one-month deadline to the offenders to rectify the illegality, without compliance, legal measures were taken against them.
“We consider it imperative to rectify the above-mentioned illegalities and interventions, as well as to demonstrate zero tolerance for such incidents in such an environmentally sensitive and significant area,” emphasizes the Audit Service.
Following an investigation into a complaint, the Audit Service found that, in the community of Kalopanayiotis, an illegal sewage treatment plant operates, which was arbitrarily erected without obtaining any permits from the competent authorities. Additionally, the sewage treatment plant interferes with a watercourse, which is a tributary of the Marathasa River, causing environmental pollution and disturbance.
According to the Town Planning Department, the aforementioned sewage treatment plant, erected arbitrarily, is part of an unlicensed development, which includes a restaurant, guesthouses, spa center, gym, bathhouse, bar, and auxiliary spaces. According to information received by the Audit Service on 29/3/2024, the Attorney General, in a letter dated 19/10/2022, instructed the Police Chief to investigate the possibility of committing any criminal offenses.
Considering the fires that have repeatedly occurred in recycling units in the Geri-Idali Industrial Zone, the Audit Service expressed concern about the risks posed by the accumulation of a large waste stockpile in the area, as well as the fact that the destroyed waste did not undergo proper management, despite the units collecting the relevant fees. Two recycling units operate in the area, and as of 16/1/2024, the total stockpile amounted to 950 sq.m., for paper and plastic.
Regarding irregularities in developments in the Municipality of Sotira in the Famagusta District, involving violations of essential terms of urban planning permission in Mixed Tourist Development and the erection of holiday homes before obtaining all the required permits and approvals, reference is made by the Audit Service.
Both the Town Planning Authority and the competent Building Authority are called upon to ensure the rectification of the illegality and the restoration of the said property and the development under construction, in accordance with the urban planning permits, according to the Audit Service.
In the report by the Audit Office, there is further mention of the involvement of the community leader of the New Village Community Council in deciding on the registration of a rural road passing through an area of the “Natura 2000” network on public land, significantly benefiting his property. This is evidenced by his co-signature on letters to the Paphos District Administration regarding the matter.
Considering that the aforementioned construction was erected illegally, the Audit Office requested information from the Paphos District Administration regarding its actions as the Building Authority to rectify the illegality.
Since August 2021, the Audit Office has expressed serious concerns regarding a then-reported cautionary letter, alerting to the potential of the Republic of Cyprus being referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union and facing penalties.
The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment assured at the time that the competent authorities were making every possible effort to implement the relevant Directive and were aligning with the European Commission’s recommendations to avoid further proceedings. Three years later, Brussels referred Cyprus to the European Court for failure to complete the legislative framework governing Natura 2000 areas by issuing protection and management orders.
In March 2024, the issue was raised with the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment, who acknowledged fully the concerns of the Audit Office and simultaneously expressed the ministry’s concerns about decisions and actions taken by the European Commission. Furthermore, she affirmed the shared desire for immediate and effective addressing of these issues, referring to a timeline of actions and emphasizing that the challenges faced by the Ministry are significant.
In her response, the Minister noted, among other things, that based on the findings of the administrative investigation conducted on the matter, no disciplinary offenses were found or substantiated by the first forest conservator (PSC), nor by any other official of the Forest Department.
It is noted that the Audit Office requested an investigation into specific cases of disciplinary offenses committed by a specific first forest conservator, as it was found that the said official engaged in actions concerning the identification of dead vultures, irregular promotion of requests from the community of Innia in the Akamas Peninsula area, and arbitrary and illegal constructions within the “Natura 2000” network area in Milikouri, which may constitute disciplinary offenses.
