A dispute between the Defence Ministry and the Interior Ministry over who should have overall responsibility for crisis management in Cyprus has emerged as parliament begins examining legislation to establish a National Civil Protection Mechanism.
The proposed reforms would create a new Directorate-General for Civil Protection within the Interior Ministry and establish a National Coordinator responsible for overseeing responses to natural and man-made disasters.
However, the Defence Ministry is advocating a different model, arguing that Cyprus should have a single body under the Council of Ministers responsible for managing all types of crises, including civil protection emergencies, war-related incidents, cyber threats and nuclear emergencies.
According to the report, Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas and Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou are expected to meet President Nikos Christodoulides in an effort to bridge the disagreement before the bill reaches the article-by-article stage in parliament.
Defence Ministry wants one crisis centre
The Defence Ministry's position was outlined during the House Interior Committee meeting by Brigadier Iakovos Mikellides, director of the Central Emergency Planning Service (KYPSEA).
“We have a different approach,” Mikellides said.
While supporting the creation of a national civil protection mechanism, the Defence Ministry argues it should be placed under the Council of Ministers through a permanent National Crisis Management Centre handling every category of crisis.
The ministry is also understood to have concerns about a system in which the National Coordinator, operating from structures within the Interior Ministry, would direct the activities of the Fire Service, Police, National Guard and health authorities during emergencies.
Mikellides said consultations with European countries, Israel and the United States since March had reinforced the ministry's belief that Cyprus should move towards a unified crisis-management model.
Ministers expected to seek compromise
Following observations by House Interior Committee chairman Aristos Damianou that the dispute amounted to a fundamental disagreement between ministries rather than a technical issue, Interior Ministry Director-General Elikkos Elias said the government's intention is to create a civil protection framework without interfering with KYPSEA's responsibilities.
He added that the matter would be discussed by the two ministers with the President and that the government hopes to return to parliament with a converged position before detailed examination of the bills begins.
Elias said the Interior Ministry had already modified aspects of the legislation following discussions with the Defence Ministry and believes the gap between the two sides has narrowed.
Further meetings between the ministries are planned in the coming weeks.
Fire Service chief Nikos Longinos said the civil protection mechanism is necessary and suggested that the Defence Ministry's concerns may relate more to broader national security structures than to the proposed legislation itself.
Forestry Department issue remains unresolved
Another point of contention concerns the future of the Forestry Department's firefighting responsibilities.
Around a year ago, proposals to transfer forest firefighting functions to the Interior Ministry triggered strong reactions from the Forestry Department and other stakeholders.
Elias said that such a transfer is not being proposed at this stage, citing both the objections raised and the successful cooperation between the Forestry Department, the Fire Service and the National Fire Coordinator during this year's wildfire season.
However, he left open the possibility of a future review.
Following an assessment, the government may reconsider whether some responsibilities and personnel involved in forest firefighting should eventually move to the Interior Ministry.
Forestry Department director Savvas Ezekiel responded by saying the department, as the authority responsible for managing forests, cannot be excluded from managing forest fires.
Representatives of the Pancyprian Committee of Forest Firefighters and farming organisation EKA also expressed reservations.
Push to limit coordinator's operational powers
The Forestry Department said it supports the principle of a modern and effective civil protection system but argued that the National Coordinator should have a strategic coordination role rather than direct operational command.
Iezekiel said operational control should remain with the incident commander managing a specific emergency.
That position was backed by Fire Service chief Longinos and Cyprus Ambulance Service head Riana Constantinou.
Health services raise concerns
Representatives of mental health and ambulance services asked for clarification on whether nurses participating in the mechanism would be assigned to the National Guard reserve during emergencies or remain in hospitals.
They also stressed that emergency services should be able to continue their operational work without interference.
Meanwhile, a representative of Public Health Services argued that the National Coordinator should not be responsible for issuing instructions on specialised health matters and called for greater clarity regarding national emergency plans.
Rollout expected in 2027
Elias said technical challenges remain in incorporating all requirements into the 2027 state budget.
If the provisions cannot be included in time, implementation of the mechanism could instead be funded through a supplementary budget expected in June 2027.
According to the Interior Ministry, the new system will not automatically take effect once the legislation is passed.
Its implementation date will be determined by the Council of Ministers to allow sufficient time for preparation, staffing and a smooth transition.
Representatives of both the Finance Ministry and Justice Ministry expressed support for the legislation.
