In a written statement the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment, Petros Xenofontos, announced the findings of the administrative investigation into the construction of the road network of the Akamas National Forest Park.
The statement notably avoids any mention of “breach of terms” and does not refer to potential administrative and disciplinary responsibilities arising from actions that have been implemented, violating legally binding terms of the environmental approval of the Sustainable Development Plan for Akamas.
Particular attention is drawn to the effort to avoid assigning any responsibility to the responsible contracting authority, namely the Department of Forests.
Additionally, the Minister’s adoption of the investigation’s findings, presented in his written statement, is emphasized, which is subject to verification for objectivity and reliability due to a conflict of interest.
In the Minister’s written statement, it is noted that “the need for a reassessment of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Plan for the Akamas National Forest Park arises from the findings of the administrative investigation conducted following my instructions regarding the progress of the construction of part of the road network in comparison to the approved Sustainable Development Plan.”
According to the findings of the investigation submitted to the Minister on Monday afternoon, several key points are highlighted:
Firstly, the Special Ecological Assessment for the Strategic Sustainable Development Plan of the Akamas National Forest Park was provided on 28/07/2021 by the relevant contracting authority, specifically the Department of Forests, to the consultants to ensure that the construction plans are compatible with its terms.
Secondly, the final construction plans were not presented by the responsible authority before the ad-hoc committee, which evaluated the study of the Special Ecological Assessment concerning the Strategic Sustainable Development Plan of the Akamas National Forest Park.
Thirdly, on 02/12/2021, the Department of Environment sent an informative/clarifying email to the Federation of Environmental Organisations of Cyprus with a copy to all members of the ad-hoc committee, providing information about the tender announcement, the environmental impact assessment procedures, as well as the procedures related to the Improvement of the Main Road Network Phase A of the Akamas National Forest Park and the construction of 14 management infrastructure nodes for the Akamas National Forest Park.
The conclusions of the administrative investigation will substantially contribute to the implementation of key priorities of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment concerning Akamas.
A central priority is the restoration of the environment by discontinuing activities that should not have taken place. The second priority is to complete the works with well-designed, careful, and gradual steps, with transparency and always aiming to protect and effectively manage the area, as well as the socio-economic development of the local community around the values of the region.
Additionally, based on the findings of the administrative investigation, it appears, according to the Minister of Agriculture, that there are deviations, raising some issues that will be further explored regarding the legality of the procedures followed.
“In line with the President’s instructions, I want to assure that our main concern is the protection of the natural beauty of the area, and all projects will serve this paramount principle,” Mr. Xenofontos states.
In conclusion, he notes that “the successful implementation of all plans, actions, and measures for the Akamas region, with the goal of environmental protection, coupled with the promotion of socio-economic development in the Akamas communities, is a top priority for the government.”
