The Administrative Court cancelled a temporary injunction on Friday that had halted harbour construction at Pentakomo fish farming facilities since April, following intervention by the construction company over service procedural issues.
The Office of the Attorney General announced on X that the court accepted the construction company’s intervention request and consequently cancelled the 8 April injunction due to improper service procedures.
Two environmental organisations, BirdLife Cyprus and Friends of the Earth, had secured the original injunction arguing that the extensive construction works would affect the rare Mediterranean monk seal species Monachus monachus in the area.
The court had initially issued the injunction noting that whilst competent services received proper notice, the Law Office failed to register an appearance, resulting in the temporary halt order.
Following criticism over the non-appearance, the Law Office announced it was notified about the injunction application only after issuance, preventing proper registration. The office indicated responsibility lay with the two state departments that received the injunction application but failed to notify the Law Office appropriately.
The construction halt potentially exposed the contractor to thousands of euros in compensation claims.
The judge rescheduled the case for next week when the injunction application will be reconsidered with all parties present to determine whether to maintain the order pending full hearing of the organisations’ challenge.
The environmental groups seek to overturn the Town Planning Department’s urban planning permit for harbor and land-based construction works serving aquaculture operators in the Moni-Vasilikos area.
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