Minister of Interior Constantinos Ioannou met with EU Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen in Brussels to discuss the need to develop a European strategy for affordable housing.
In statements after the 16 September meeting, Ioannou said that "we discussed the issue of housing as a European challenge that requires coordinated and targeted actions for its effective management. The European Commission has strategically placed affordable housing as a key policy priority, recognising it as a fundamental social right, essential for social cohesion in the European Union."
The Minister highlighted that Cyprus welcomes the Commission's intention to develop the European Plan for Affordable Housing, which is currently under public consultation during the Danish Presidency, with the goal of finalising it in March 2026, during the Cypriot Presidency.
"An equally important milestone for the Cypriot Presidency is the Informal Ministerial Meeting that will be hosted in our country in May 2026, during which we will have the opportunity to present the results of the European Plan for Affordable Housing and to define the roadmap for the period 2028-2035, given that the Commission is promoting the integration of affordable housing into the Cohesion Policy 2028-2035 as a standalone thematic priority," he noted. Ioannou stressed that Cyprus' goal during its EU Presidency is "to act as a catalyst for the adoption of a coherent European strategy for affordable housing.”
On his part, Commissioner for Housing Dan Jørgensen thanked Ioannou for the fact that Cyprus, as the incoming Presidency of the Council, places high on its priorities the issue of housing. He stressed that at the European level, it is a very significant priority, and for this purpose, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has requested to complete the Plan even before the end of the current year.
Commissioner Jørgensen assured that the Commission will provide all possible support and that the EU Commission services and the Republic of Cyprus will be in close contact to coordinate the actions that need to be followed during the Cypriot Presidency, both at the legislative and technocratic levels.
(Source: CNA)
