Cyprus is moving to tighten its grip on marine pollution after years of fragmented oversight left authorities struggling to respond to worsening conditions in Limassol bay.
Against that backdrop, the Deputy Ministry of Shipping is preparing to set up, in early 2026, the Pollution Response Supervision and Coordination Unit (PRSCU), an executive body with pan-Cyprus powers to coordinate action on marine pollution.
The move follows a commitment by President Nikos Christodoulides to address water quality concerns in Limassol, which have become increasingly visible in recent years.
According to information obtained by philenews, coordination of the new body will be assigned to Theodoulos Mesimeris, a former director of the Department of Environment and now deputy director general at the Shipping Ministry.
Officials point to his 22 years of experience in environmental regulation as a key asset at a time when institutional know-how is being shifted closer to the shipping portfolio.
The challenge, however, is substantial. A disclosure to Parliament in November revealed that 30 organisations holding licensed pipelines are discharging wastewater into the Limassol sea through drainage systems.
Among them are high-rise buildings using such pipelines to prevent basement flooding.
In a striking admission, the Department of Environment acknowledged that these operators had been allowed to rely on self-monitoring, reporting pollution incidents themselves so that fines could then be imposed.
That gap, the department conceded, exposed weaknesses in enforcement and supervision, prompting assurances that a stricter framework is now being prepared.
Those shortcomings are part of a wider picture. Cyprus is in a transitional phase, with pollution control spread across several state bodies whose operational capacity is still being built.
On land, the Environmental Inspections and Controls unit was established only a few months ago. At sea, the PRSCU under the Deputy Ministry of Shipping is expected to become operational in the first quarter of 2026.
The staggered timelines reflect uneven progress across pollution sectors, with authorities continuing to acknowledge serious gaps, particularly in enforcement capacity. Illegal dumping sites remain a visible symptom of these weaknesses, while air pollution is considered largely under control.
Within this context, the new unit is designed to operate as the executive arm of the Committee for the Prevention and Response to Marine Pollution, managing day-to-day issues and ensuring swift, coordinated interventions.
The Shipping Ministry says the group will focus on collecting and analysing pollution data, proposing changes to procedures and legislation, planning joint actions among competent authorities, developing digital supervision tools and introducing performance indicators to assess the effectiveness of measures taken.
At the same time, the ministry stresses that the new structure is intended to complement, rather than replace, existing authorities, with the aim of delivering a coherent and sustainable response to marine pollution.
To support its work, the ministry issued a €100,000 tender late last November for scientific support services over a 24-month period.
The services sought range from monitoring polluted surface waters and environmental data processing to strategic planning for marine conservation and the identification and remediation of pollution sources.
More broadly, authorities acknowledge that progress across all three pollution fronts, land, sea and air, will ultimately depend on the effective deployment of smart technologies to carry out surveillance with speed, accuracy and safety.
During a parliamentary discussion in mid-November on unresolved pollution issues in Limassol bay, the Shipping Ministry outlined its plans for the PRSCU and requested a grace period until 2027 for the full utilisation of technological tools at sea, notably drones to identify polluting leisure vessels.
The delay was attributed to bureaucratic obstacles, including approvals from the Civil Aviation Department.
On land, drones, GPS systems and satellite imagery already form part of the toolkit of the Department of Environment’s inspections unit, established in early 2025.
However, capacity remains limited. The unit currently employs just 12 inspectors, far below the 45 identified in earlier studies as necessary to cover Cyprus effectively, making round-the-clock inspections impossible.
Still, technology has improved efficiency. Drones now allow inspectors to map polluted areas, assess conditions and carry out volumetric measurements at illegal dumping sites in a fraction of the time previously required.
Each district inspection team is equipped with at least one such device, and inspectors have received full training in their use.
GPS tracking of waste transport vehicles represents another monitoring tool, though its effectiveness is constrained by incomplete registration.
Efforts to require GPS installation as a condition for licence renewal have so far failed, leaving uncontrolled dumping, particularly from construction and demolition activities, largely unresolved.
Satellite imagery provides a further layer of oversight, enabling authorities to identify emerging dumping hotspots, register them in databases and monitor developments remotely over time.
Air pollution control stands on firmer ground. The Department of Labour inspection operates a nationwide network of atmospheric monitoring stations, providing real-time public data and working closely with research centres such as the Cyprus Institute to integrate new analytical tools.
These systems allow authorities to trace pollution sources based on chemical signatures, even when emissions are measured away from their point of origin.
Operationally, the PRSCU is expected to become active in 2026, with its launch tied to the delivery of a digital platform being developed under the European EMMERA project.
The platform, due in the first quarter of the year, involves Frederick University, the University of Piraeus and the University of Haifa, alongside the Cyprus Ports Authority.
Once operational, it will allow for centralised registration of pollution incidents, trend and source analysis, the production of performance indicators and evidence-based decision-making.
Some adjustments will still be required, the Shipping Ministry notes, to tailor the system fully to the operational needs of the ports authority.
