🔊Patients in Cyprus may face sharp rise in medication co-payments: HIO and pharma companies' negotiations at an impasse
Patients receiving medication through the General Healthcare System (GESY) risk facing high co-payments as early as next month. The reason is prolonged negotiations between the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) and pharmaceutical companies. A meeting scheduled to be chaired by the Minister of Health has been postponed until the end of April.

The problem arose after patents for certain original drugs expired and their prices dropped simultaneously. As a result, patient co-payments exceeded €20. Replacing an expensive drug with a cheap generic is not always possible, as they contain different active ingredients, and switching treatment could harm patients' health.

The Patient Federation (OSAK) proposed setting a co-payment cap of €10 for specific categories of medicines. The HIO supported this initiative, but pharmaceutical companies, according to sources, rejected it.

Complaints submitted to the supervisory board confirm the seriousness of the situation:

· A patient taking anticoagulants previously paid €4.50, now being charged €22.
· Another chronic patient, whose co-payment rose from €1 to €22, is afraid to switch to a generic with a different active ingredient.
· Another patient reported a co-payment increase from €8.42 to €15.33 for one drug, and from €2.10 to €29.34 for an anticoagulant.
· A fourth patient noted that the co-payment for one pack of an anticoagulant is €10, but with a monthly need for three packs, the cost reaches €30.

OSAK Secretary Miltos Miltiadous called it unacceptable for patients to be forced to change treatment for financial reasons. According to him, the delay in reaching a solution is particularly painful for low-paid pensioners, for whom even €20 a month is a significant amount. The Patient Federation has stated it is not prepared to tolerate a situation where patients risk their health or are forced to overpay.
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🔊Cyprus develops comprehensive fire prevention plan to avoid multi-million euro losses
Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou has proposed a package of preventive fire measures to the Cabinet, at a cost significantly lower than the damage recorded after devastating blazes. As an example, the minister cited the fires in mountainous Limassol in July 2025, which caused multi-million euro damage and required large compensation payouts.

The minister's proposals include three main funding areas:

1. Land clearing — €1.96 million for clearing abandoned agricultural land and areas adjacent to communities within a 200-metre radius of residential zones. The work will be carried out by 30 clusters of community services.
2. Procurement of fire trucks — €1 million for purchasing single-crew fire vehicles with autonomous extinguishing systems for community councils.
3. Equipment rental — €1.2 million for renting and stationing bulldozers and fuel tankers during the summer period from 1 June to 30 September 2026. The equipment is planned to be positioned at 12 strategic points in the provinces of Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos.

Earlier, the Cabinet had already approved around €3 million for similar work in 2025. Additionally, since May 2025, the grant for purchasing single-crew fire trucks has been increased from 50% to 80% for communities belonging to clusters and for settlements bordering forests. To date, 32 applications from communities have been approved, totalling approximately €1.28 million.

All funds for the implementation of preventive measures will be provided by the Ministry of Interior.
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🔊Cyprus drafts bill to legalise unauthorised constructions
The Ministry of Interior, in collaboration with the Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber (ETEK), has released for public consultation a draft law allowing the legalisation of buildings constructed without a building permit. The document applies to structures completed before the law comes into force. Applications for legalisation can be submitted within 18 to 36 months, after which fines will be imposed.

To legalise a property, certain conditions must be met: possession of a planning permit, compliance with static safety standards, energy efficiency, electrical and mechanical installations, as well as accessibility and fire protection requirements that were in force at the time of construction. The owner will need to carry out inspections and obtain certificates from qualified specialists.

If approved, a building permit is issued, and an appropriate note is made in the property title. The draft law is currently at the public consultation stage.
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🔊Activists raise €10,000 for Wolt couriers after week-long strike
An online fundraiser in support of Wolt couriers has concluded in Cyprus. In a short period of time, nearly €10,000 was raised. The drivers have returned to work, describing it as a "survival tactic" rather than an admission of defeat.

After a week of striking, many couriers were left without money for rent, food and basic necessities. Some of them are foreign students: unpaid tuition fees threaten them with deportation. Organisers explained that the fund was set up so that drivers could eat, pay for housing and continue fighting for their rights.

During the strike, Wolt blocked the accounts of participants. According to figures from Tuesday, 80 accounts were deactivated. The company is now demanding €130 each to unlock them. The drivers are still unable to access the platform.

The couriers demanded compliance with the 20-hour weekly work limit for students, the introduction of facial recognition in the app (to prevent accounts from being rented out), and the reinstatement of all blocked workers. They also sought an increase in the delivery fee from €1 to €2.50, as well as compensation for the strike days. According to the drivers, Wolt initially agreed, but later found out that 600 active couriers remained on the platform and backed out of the agreements.

Most couriers are not directly employed by the Finnish company: they are hired through third-party firms that take up to 30% of their earnings, while Wolt sets the terms and rates. By Monday, the group will decide whether to take the case to a labour court. Fundraising organisers also note that couriers in Cyprus regularly face racist abuse and theft.
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🔊**Deputy Ministry of Innovation denies reports of Foreign Ministry hack and ransom demand
**Cyprus' Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy has denied information published by the newspaper Politis regarding a breach of the Foreign Ministry's databases and a ransom demand. The department stated there are no signs of a hack of state systems, and no ransom demand has been received.

At the same time, it confirmed that there has been a recent increase in the number of cyberattacks affecting both the public and private sectors. This phenomenon is not unique to Cyprus but is being observed across Europe.

The Deputy Ministry emphasised that it is in constant coordination with the Digital Security Authority and other state agencies, closely monitoring the situation. The statement also called on all parties to verify information through official sources before publishing news on such a sensitive topic.
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🔊**Police seize 11,000 firecrackers in three months — main flow comes from occupied territories
**Since the start of 2026, Cyprus police have confiscated 11,000 pyrotechnic items, mostly firecrackers. In all of 2025, a total of 20,500 were seized.

Most of the illegal pyrotechnics come from the occupied territories, as well as from Spain and Poland via legal entry points.

A preventive campaign against the uncontrolled use of firecrackers and juvenile delinquency will run until Easter. Authorities remind the public of tragic incidents last year: the death of a 22-year-old, injuries to a 40-year-old, and limb amputations involving two minors.

Possession and use of firecrackers carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years. President of the Union of Municipalities and Mayor of Larnaca Andreas Vyras described the situation as extremely concerning and stressed that the tradition of lighting bonfires applies only to Holy Saturday and must be conducted in compliance with safety measures.
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🔊**Five Cypriot villages named Prastio unite to preserve cultural heritage
**On Sunday 22 March, a meeting of five villages sharing the name Prastio took place in Prastio Avdimou: Prastio Avdimou, Prastio Kelakiou, Prastio Kelokedaron, Prastio Famagusta and Prastio Morphou. A memorandum of cooperation was signed at the event, aimed at preserving cultural heritage and promoting joint development.

The meeting was given particular significance by the presence of 12 Turkish Cypriots — originally from Prastio Kelokedaron and Prastio Avdimou. They conveyed a message of hope for a better future for their shared homeland.

Four of the five villages were severely affected by the tragic events of 1963–1974. Greek Cypriots from Prastio Famagusta and Prastio Morphou became refugees in 1974. In 1964, Turkish Cypriots from Prastio Kelokedaron and from Prastio Avdimou, which was then mixed, were forced to leave their homes.

Director General of the Ministry of Interior Ellikos Ilias, who was the keynote speaker, described the name "Prastio" as a living link uniting people, traditions and values. He called the participation of communities from occupied Prastio Famagusta and Prastio Morphou — now waiting 52 years for the return of their residents — particularly moving.

More than 350 people attended the event. The programme concluded with Cypriot dancing.
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🔊Environment Commissioner: heavy March rains are good news, but reservoirs must still be built
Commissioner for the Environment and Animal Welfare Antonia Theodosiou stated that the construction of reservoirs in Cyprus remains a top priority. The island is among the world leaders in the number of overflowing dams, yet this is still not enough.

According to her, water has become a globally scarce resource, and "water wars" have been discussed for two decades. The key lies in proper management and reducing losses. It is important not only to store water but also not to obstruct its natural flow to the sea, as the marine ecosystem needs fresh water inflow.

Theodosiou described the heavy rains in March as a joyful fact. Rainfall is expected to continue into April. However, she emphasised that Cyprus cannot rely solely on rain: desalination plants must be developed, but with great caution.

The Commissioner noted that the Eastern Mediterranean is characterised by intensive dam construction. She cited the Aswan Dam in Egypt as an example, which has blocked a significant flow of water into the sea. Cyprus, in her view, needs a balanced approach: reservoirs, desalination, and respect for natural waterways.
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🔊**Parliament passes law compensating excess solar panel energy — opposition calls decision populist and risky
**Cyprus' parliament has voted in favour of a law obligating the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) to compensate households for excess electricity generated by solar panels under the net metering scheme. Previously, such surplus was written off every three years. Critics describe the decision as hasty, unconstitutional and fraught with serious consequences for the EAC, the state and consumers who do not have solar panels.

The law was introduced urgently without prior consultation or a cost-benefit assessment. According to opponents, this is election populism: MPs who voted for the law knew the president would almost certainly send it back for revision, but sought in this way to build political capital ahead of the elections.

The crux of the problem is that residential solar panels are not designed to produce excess energy. Their purpose is to cover a household's own needs. Surplus arises due to an imbalance in the system. At midday, when panels are most active, there is already a surplus of generation in the grid, and the excess from households is not needed. In the evening, however, the EAC supplies electricity to those same households at a cost of around 26 cents per kilowatt-hour, shifting the expense onto all other consumers.

The new law not only retains this practice but also adds an additional payment — 11 cents for each kilowatt-hour of excess energy, to be compensated every three years. According to experts, this will further burden the EAC and all consumers without solar panels — that is, more than 300,000 families.

Critics stress that the problem requires a systemic solution, not piecemeal populist measures. Since 1 January 2026, the net metering scheme has already been replaced by net billing, reflecting the state's understanding of the need to reform the system. According to them, the passed law exacerbates existing imbalances and creates new risks for energy stability. The president is expected to return the bill for reconsideration.
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