The annual Schengen report on Cyprus is expected to be formally presented to the Council of the European Union in September, European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert said on Wednesday.
Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), he said that the assessment, based on the Schengen monitoring activities carried out in December 2025, resulted in a positive evaluation of Cyprus' level of technical preparedness, while a European source has clarified that this is not the final report on Cyprus' accession to the Schengen Area, and that work is ongoing.
"Cyprus' accession to the Schengen Area would be a significant step forward for the country and for the European Union as a whole," Lammert said, confirming that the European Commission adopted on Wednesday the 2025-2026 Schengen Country Report, after receiving a positive opinion from the Member States in the Schengen Committee on 26 June 2026. According to the spokesperson, "the report is based on the Schengen monitoring activities conducted in December 2025 and provides a positive assessment of Cyprus' state of technical preparedness."
He added that "the Commission will continue to support Cyprus in its efforts to meet the necessary requirements and standards. These reports, the report that we adopted yesterday, will be presented to the Council in September." The report has already been transmitted to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, but its formal presentation to the Council will take place in September, the spokesperson explained.
"It is clear that decisions on when and how Cyprus will join the Schengen Area lie with the Council, but the Commission's position is very clear. Cyprus' accession to the Schengen Area will strengthen the common framework of shared rules, standards and responsibilities underpinning Schengen cooperation," Lammert concluded.
However, according to a European source who spoke to CNA, this report is by no means the final report on Cyprus' path towards accession to the Schengen Area. In other words, its consideration by the Council of the European Union will not, in itself, result in Cyprus joining the Schengen Area, as there are still outstanding issues that need to be addressed as part of the ongoing evaluation process.
