The European Commission has sent letters of formal notice to Cyprus and 12 other EU member states over their national energy and climate plans.
The Commission also warned Cyprus and Belgium separately regarding water management issues.
The letters mark the first step in infringement proceedings that could lead to referral to the EU Court of Justice and potential fines if member states fail to comply after receiving a reasoned opinion.
Regarding energy matters, the Commission initiated proceedings against Cyprus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Croatia, Malta, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Slovakia for failing to submit their final updated National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) as required under the Energy Union Governance Regulation.
On water management, Cyprus and Belgium received formal notices for failing to periodically review their water management measures as required by the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC).
The directive requires member states to establish programmes of measures for each river basin district to ensure good status of European water bodies, including rivers and lakes.
Yesterday, the Cypriot government announced a plan to combat drought and water scarcity, by investing 1 billion euros in infrastructure projects.
Long-term measures through 2030 include expanding five existing permanent desalination plants by up to 50% and constructing two additional plants.
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