The Department of Forests has submitted its proposed changes to Phase A construction plans for the main road network in Akamas National Forest Park to the environment ministry, though the revisions fall short of meeting all legally binding conditions.
The Department of Environment has cancelled a scheduled February 3 meeting of the Ad-hoc Committee for Special Environmental Assessment (SEA) without setting a new date, officials said.
The road works, which include three routes (Aspros-Lara, Toxeftra-Avakas, and Lara Circle), were halted in December 2023 following intervention by the President after environmental groups reported serious violations of binding conditions attached to the park’s sustainable development plan.
The violations were confirmed by all members of the SEA committee except the department of forests, and were separately verified by the Scientific and Technical Chamber of Cyprus, the Environment Commissioner, the Audit Office, the Parliamentary Environment Committee, and a team of Greek and Cypriot academic experts.
In response, the Environmental Authority issued a supplementary SEA report in March 2024, setting specific requirements for modifying construction plans and mitigating environmental damage in the Natura 2000 protected area.
While Agriculture Minister told parliament on January 8 that evaluation of all SEA conditions had been completed, the department of forests missed multiple submission deadlines before finally delivering revised plans last Friday.
However, the plans still do not ensure compliance with all legally binding terms, sources said.
The Water Development Department has rejected the revised hydraulic works proposals for the Toxeftra-Avakas road and associated rivers, stating in a January 22 letter that the changes failed to incorporate its April 2024 recommendations and SEA requirements.
Read more:
