The Defence Ministry told parliament on Thursday that the new National Civil Protection Mechanism should come directly under the Cabinet, as MPs began debating bills to rename the Interior Ministry and give it responsibility for civil protection.
The bills would rename the Interior Ministry the Ministry of Interior and Civil Protection, set up the mechanism under a National Coordinator and move the Fire Service to the renamed ministry. A plan to also bring the Forestry Department under the ministry has been set aside for now.
Asked by the chairman of the House Interior Committee, a Defence Ministry representative said the ministry has a different approach and had sent a letter setting it out. The ministry supports a central planning mechanism but believes the mechanism should report directly to the Cabinet, he told the committee. He added that planning should also cover other events, including cybersecurity issues and even a state of war.
The bill would allow the National Guard to help tackle natural disasters, provided its ability to safeguard the Republic’s defence is not affected. A representative of the National Guard commander argued that it should not be affected even in peacetime.
Interior Ministry permanent secretary Elikkos Elia said some amendments had been made to the bill and would be discussed with the Defence Ministry. The ministry proposes that the Fire Service come under it, and will proceed with that model in the first phase, he said. For now, the ministry does not want any of the Forestry Department’s staff to come under it, he added.
The transition to the new system “will not happen automatically” once the bills are passed, Elia told the committee. The start date will be set by a Cabinet decision, to allow time for preparation, staffing and organisation. He urged the committee to proceed with the bills without delay.
The ministry’s case
Presenting the bills, Elia said the major fires in Solea in 2016, Arakapas in 2021 and the Limassol hills in 2025 had shown that the risk environment had changed significantly. In a major crisis, he argued, no single service is enough on its own, and what is needed is unified planning, clear roles and a mechanism able to mobilise and coordinate all available forces quickly.
The post of General Coordinator for Tackling Major Fires, used for the first time this year, had confirmed the value of unified operational coordination, he said. The government aims to turn that practice into a permanent civil protection system covering every major crisis and all the risks the country faces.
According to Elia, the reform follows a process that began in 2023, in cooperation with Expertise France and drawing on EU expert recommendations. In 2025, the Cabinet approved the mechanism and decided to create a General Directorate of Civil Protection and the post of National Coordinator. The General Directorate would be the main administrative pillar of the new system.
The reform covers the whole crisis cycle, from prevention and preparedness to response and recovery, Elia said. It provides for a review of the Special National Plans, more training, and a Permanent Scientific Council for Civil Protection.
