Four environmental organizations have called on Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou to intervene following what they describe as the Forestry Department’s “arrogant” stance on the Akamas National Forest Park projects. They are urging her to immediately release the findings of all administrative and disciplinary investigations into alleged violations of environmental approval terms.
The statement comes after the Forestry Department declared itself “fully satisfied and vindicated” by recent re-evaluations of the controversial projects in Akamas, following the publication of a second report outlining the framework for redesign and implementation.
The four organizations; Terra Cypria, BirdLife Cyprus, the Cyprus Wildlife Society, and the Initiative for the Protection of the Natural Coastline, insist the department has breached a series of legally binding conditions tied to the Sustainable Development Plan of the Akamas National Forest Park and Phase A of road network upgrades.
They note that since October 2023, the department has refused to admit to “grave mistakes and enormous responsibilities,” which led to the suspension of works and an “open construction site in the heart of the Akamas Peninsula.” This stance, they say, has caused serious delays both in re-evaluations and in completing the first phase of road works.
Calls for Accountability
The groups accuse the department of arrogance and demand Minister Panayiotou stop “tolerating the department’s unacceptable behavior unless, of course, she shares it.” They further press her to make public the results of all probes into violations of environmental approvals linked to both the Sustainable Development Plan and Phase A road works.
They stress that every member of the Ad-hoc Committee for the Special Ecological Assessment, except the Forestry Department, has recognized the violations, including state bodies such as the Environment Department, the Fisheries and Marine Research Department, and the Game and Fauna Service, alongside environmental NGOs. The same conclusion has also been reached by the Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber, independent experts, the Audit Office, the Parliamentary Environment Committee, the President of the Republic, and ultimately the Cabinet, which issued two related decisions in December 2023 and March 2024.
Questioning the Forestry Department’s “Vindication”
The organizations challenge the department’s claim of vindication, asking whether it refers to:
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the demolition of retaining walls built along protected geosites,
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the removal of the water supply pipeline to visitor service hubs,
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the re-evaluation of hydraulic works along the Toxeftra-Avakas road,
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the cancellation of further roadside channel construction, or
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the removal of the Avakas-Lipatí road section from Phase A.
Instead of denial, they argue, the Forestry Department should “at the very least recognize the mistakes committed and the damage caused,” and commit to full restoration of the Natura 2000 conservation zones.
They also highlight that the Audit Office published a damning special audit on June 23, 2025, exposing failures in contract oversight for Akamas works, with a new compliance audit expected soon.
Next Steps
According to the second Special Ecological Assessment issued this August, the Forestry Department, as project implementer, must revise construction designs and resubmit them for approval before launching a new tender. The reworked first phase of road improvements will exclude the Avakas-Lipatí stretch, with a new timetable to be announced.
The projects originally began in September 2022 but were halted in October 2023 after revelations of serious violations by the Forestry Department. In December 2023, the Cabinet ordered a full re-examination of Phase A works.