The European Commission adopted on Friday the 2026 EU Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community, providing €34 million to support socio-economic development and facilitate the reunification process in Cyprus.
According to a Commission announcement, the 2026 programme will invest in key areas to improve social and economic development and bring communities closer together. It will support the Turkish Cypriot community in aligning with EU food safety and animal health standards, including through continued support for the all-island Halloumi Protected Designation of Origin scheme.
The programme will also help drive economic growth by strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises, promoting innovation and expanding trade opportunities, including through Green Line trade. In addition, the new funding will back important projects in energy, school infrastructure, and wastewater and waste treatment infrastructure. This includes initiatives promoting the reuse of treated water from the bicommunal Nicosia Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The 2026 programme will continue to support the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, the Committee on Missing Persons, other bicommunal technical committees and civil society organisations, as well as two flagship EU scholarship programmes: the bicommunal scholarship programme for Cypriot youth to attend United World Colleges, and the scholarship programme for Turkish Cypriots studying at universities across the EU.
Over the past 20 years, the EU has allocated more than €794 million to the Aid Programme, underlining its "strong commitment to supporting the Turkish Cypriot community and fostering trust, cooperation and reconciliation."
