EU aid for north reaches €688m, trade increasing

EU funding to support the north of Cyprus has reached a total of €688 million since 2026, a report issued on Thursday shows, while green line trade is steadily increasing.

The European Commission published two annual reports on Thursday illustrating the European Union’s “continued support for Cyprus’ reunification”.

“Since 2006, a total of €688 million in EU funding has been allocated to the aid programme, which supports Cyprus’ reunification by financing confidence-building measures and supporting the socio-economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community,” said the report on the implementation of the Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot Community in 2023.

“In 2023, €31.7 million was allocated for this purpose,” it says.

“Thanks to this EU funding, the first three Turkish Cypriot Halloumi/Hellim producers and 15 milk farms were approved under the protected designation of origin (PDO) scheme in 2023,” the commission said.

The commission also assisted the Turkish Cypriot community in complying with EU food safety and animal welfare standards, a condition for placement of products on the EU market.

Three EU-funded infrastructure projects were also completed in the Turkish Cypriot community in 2023, including the construction of the Kormakitis Centre for Cooperation, a multi-cultural event venue available to all Cypriot communities, and the extension of the Morphou wastewater treatment plant, which has doubled the plant’s capacity, safeguarding the environment and public health.

The green line report shows that trade across the green line in 2023 increased by 9.6 per cent to a record value of €16 million, adding that 7.1 million authorised crossings were recorded in 2023, steadily increasing from 6.1 million in 2022.

“The commission welcomes the further measures announced by the government of the Republic of Cyprus in January 2024, to admit another six processed foods of non-animal origin to green line trade (admitted in April 2024) and to increase staffing and reduce congestion at crossing points,” the report said.

“These measures will positively contribute to green line trade going forward.”

The year 2024 marks 20 years since the adoption of the EU’s Green Line Regulation for Cyprus.