The Board of the Union of Cyprus Journalists (UCJ) has expressed strong objection to the non‑recognition of its press card in the accreditation process for events held under the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, describing the situation as a scandalous downgrade that exposes the country at the European level.
The UCJ notes that it has already sent two letters to the Deputy Minister for European Affairs without receiving any substantive response, while the issue has also been raised at European level through a written intervention by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ). The EFJ is calling for the explicit recognition of the UCJ press card in all accreditation procedures, stressing that exclusions of this kind are neither reasonable nor acceptable in the context of an EU Presidency.
It stresses Cyprus is the only EU state where the government issues press cards, contradicting European norms. The UCJ urges immediate corrective action, warning the situation harms Cyprus’ image.