Preparations well underway for Cyprus' EU Presidency in first half of 2026

Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna has briefed Cabinet on how preparations for Cyprus' EU Presidency in the first half of 2026 are progressing.

"We are entering the final phase, exactly six months ahead of the assumption and we are at the most intensive point of programming," Raouna told a press conference after the Council of Ministers session.

She said that based on the inherited agenda, the Cyprus Presidency is expected to manage approximately 330 subject files and of these approximately 50% is expected to be related to new proposals.

The Deputy Minister also said that the first draft of the Official Calendar of the Presidency has been completed and submitted to Brussels, which includes a total of 52 official high-level meetings, in Brussels, Luxembourg and Cameroon, as well as 26 informal high-level meetings that will be held in Cyprus.

She added that approximately 258 informal meetings are expected to be held in Cyprus, of which 27 are informal high-level meetings namely one Informal European Council Meeting, 19 Informal Ministerial Councils, four thematic meetings or conferences at ministerial level, one visit of the College of Commissioners, the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament and the Opening Ceremony.

Another 231 meetings are also expected to be held in all Cyprus districts.

As she said, from the beginning the planning included meetings and conferences across the island.  In addition to Nicosia, which will host 84 meetings, 33 will be held in Limassol, Paphos and Larnaka, and 32 in Famagusta.

She further said that works are speeding up at the Conference Center, which will host the high-level meetings, as well as the Higher Hotel Institute premises which will be turned into a press center.

The two venues are expected to be delivered within September.

Raouna also reminded that the process for submitting requests for holding events under the auspices of the Presidency is open until the end of July, while the process for submitting proposals for sponsorship by private entities to the Cyprus Presidency, is open until the end of August.

Cyprus joined the EU in 2004. This is the second time it assumes the EU rotating Presidency. The first one was in 2012.

(Source: CNA)