Cyprus' new policy for RES presented at Informal EU Council

The actions of Cyprus to accelerate the granting of environmental permits and the new zoning policy for RES projects were outlined by Permanent Secretary for Environment, Costas Hatzipanagiotou, at the EU Informal Council of Ministers of the Environment.

The event took place on 10 and 11 July in Valladolid, Spain, in the context of the presidency of the Council of the EU.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment,  the Informal Council discussed the need to adopt approaches that link sectoral policies on water, climate, soil, forests, and biodiversity, and ensure an adequate balance between the development of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and the conservation of biodiversity.

During the discussions, Hatzipanagiotou identified as the main challenge the radical transformation required in the existing institutional policy-making system, in order to ensure a high degree of coherence of sectoral policies. At the same time, he referred to practical actions of Cyprus, in the context of the national legislation, to accelerate the granting of environmental permits and the new zoning policy for RES projects, which incorporate regulations that serve both businesses and the competent authorities for better project planning, environmental protection, and faster licensing processes.

The participants also exchanged views on possible proposals to reduce plastic pollution in the marine environment.

At the heart of the discussions during the second day of the Informal Council, which consisted of joint sessions of the Ministers of Environment and Energy, was the upcoming 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference and the contribution of the energy sector to the achievement of the goal of limiting global temperature increase to 1.5 °C.

(Source: CNA)