07.07.2022
President Nicos Anastasiades met on Thursday with EU Commissioner for Cohesion and Reform Elisa Ferreira, the latter traveled to Cyprus to announce the approval of the Cohesion Partnership Agreement and the Operational Program and Just Transition Plan for Cyprus.
Cyprus is the first country whose Cohesion Policy program has been approved for the European Regional Development and Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Social Fund Plus.
After the meeting, Ferreira, among other things, told reporters that she had a very interesting and very frank conversation with President Anastasiades.
“We are very pleased to agree with Cyprus on the development agenda and support from European funds for the entire period 2021-2027,” Ferreira said.
“Cyprus is doing very well in terms of the use of these funds and we think that this new period will once again give Cyprus a good incentive to become fossil fuel free and digitally driven development . and innovative technologies and, in fact, the best use of these funds for the continuous, sustainable growth and development of the Republic of Cyprus,” she added.
When asked about the absorption of EU funds by the Republic of Cyprus, the commissioner said that Cyprus is one of the most efficient users of these funds, adding that “we are very pleased to have opened a new period of support for the sustainable growth of Cyprus”.
In addition, when asked how much was allocated to Cyprus for the entire period of the program, Ferreira said that only from Cohesion funding, and not from the Recovery and Resilience Fund, the total amount is approximately 1 billion euros, which is allocated to different areas.
As for the Just Transition Fund (JTF), it represents the first pillar of the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) and is considered the most important tool to support countries and regions most affected by the transition to climate neutrality, allowing them to receive individual support.
Initially, the fund had a fund of 17.5 billion euros at its disposal, but at current prices this has increased to 19.2 billion euros.
The European Commission explained that its amount corresponds to the fresh money that is allocated to support EU countries in their transition to a green economy. Of this amount, €7.5 billion will be funded under the EU budget for 2021-2027, while the remaining €10 billion will be external earmarked revenues generated from the European Recovery Instrument.
“Investing in a cohesive policy will strengthen the Cypriot economy and increase the competitiveness and diversification of local business activities, with a particular focus on addressing social and environmental issues,” Ferreira said ahead of her visit.
“Funding the Cohesion Policy will improve the quality of life of the citizens of Cyprus,” she added.
In addition to President Anastasiadis and other members of the Cypriot government, Ferreira will also visit the Turkish Cypriot community and meet with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, other representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community and representatives of the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The reason for this is that Ferreira is also responsible for supporting the settlement in Cyprus and the Assistance Program which aims to promote the reunification of Cyprus by encouraging the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community.
In addition, the Commissioner will meet members of the Missing Persons Committee in Cyprus, as well as young Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot graduates of United World Colleges who have received EU scholarships. She will also visit several Cohesion Policy projects and meet with the Mayors of Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos.
