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The big highlights of the project are two cycling highways, one leading to Lower Austria in the south and another leading to Donaustadt
Sântana has only 11,000 residents, yet several municipal buildings will get connected to a renewable geothermal reservoir deep underground
With a decline in passengers due to Covid-19 and the energy crisis, among other factors, the city will focus on increasing the quality of service
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The city has a strategy of putting 10,000 human-controlled and autonomous shuttles on the streets by 2030
Last week, the Chinese app was banned for Belgian federal employees for an initial period of six months
Sântana has only 11,000 residents, yet several municipal buildings will get connected to a renewable geothermal reservoir deep underground
Some of the most productive solar installations in the city are on listed buildings, such as Red City Hall
With a decline in passengers due to Covid-19 and the energy crisis, among other factors, the city will focus on increasing the quality of service
The big highlights of the project are two cycling highways, one leading to Lower Austria in the south and another leading to Donaustadt
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The city has arranged four tailor-made programmes for the different residences as a way to reconnect with patients’ life and memories
Find out which European region has the highest longevity, and which one the lowest
Following a decisive vote in parliament, the current 30 municipalities will be slimmed down to 20 and will acquire administrative and financial autonomy
In a marathon session on 3 March, involving the passage of three new bills and 60 amendments to existing laws, the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus finally gave the decisive push to the long-delayed reform of local government which aims to bail out the generally bankrupt sector.
The Republic of Cyprus is divided into six districts, 30 municipalities in urban areas, and 350 communities in rural areas (not counting the Turkish-occupied northern part of the island). These are run by councils which can raise revenues through local taxes and fees but are also entitled to annual and project-based government grants.
The breakthrough legislation of last week slashes the number of municipalities to 20 from the current 30, through restructuring and mergers, which involve communities as well.
According to Cypriot media, the new laws guarantee the administrative and financial autonomy of municipalities to make them economically viable; empower local councils to pool resources for communal services such as garbage collection, public transport and street cleaning; and allow for the creation of district clusters to run services including water supply and waste management.
The plan to restructure the debt-ridden local authority sector, so as to achieve economies of scale and make communal services cost-effective, has been the focus of a heated all-party debate for the last 10 years. And while a consensus has been reached across the political spectrum that the reform is long overdue, resentment has been building on the local level, with many municipalities rejecting merger, or voicing their own preferences of merging partners.
Another apple of discord has been whether each municipality should vote for its future status in a referendum, or a nationwide referendum involving all affected municipalities and communities should be held instead.
The new administrative system is due to take effect in 2024. To ensure that local councils will have enough time to roll out the reform, parliament has postponed local government elections, due last autumn, to May 2024.
The Cypriot government has pledged to the European Commission to implement the reform by May 2024, a date coinciding with the European Parliament election. Stakes are high, as the EU has set the reform’s progress as one of the conditions Cyprus must meet to receive funding from the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
Under the new administrative arrangement, Nicosia district will have five municipalities: Nicosia (Ayios Dometios, Engomi and Aglandjia), Lakatamia (Lakatamia and Tseri plus Anthoupoli), Latsia-Geri, South Nicosia-Dali, and Strovolos.
Limassol district will have four municipalities: Limassol (Limassol and Mesa Yitonia), East Limassol, Polemidia, and Western Limassol.
The four municipalities of Paphos district will be: Paphos; Eastern Paphos; Western Paphos; and Polis Chrysochous.
Larnaca district will have five new municipalities: Larnaca, Aradippou, Dromolaxia-Meneou, Lefkara, and Athienou.
And lastly, Famagusta district will have two municipalities: Ayia Napa (Ayia Napa-Sotira); and Paralimni-Dherynia.
Map of Cyprus’ districts.
Kyrenia lies in the occupied part of the island and is not subject to reform.
Source: Alexander-Michael Hadjilyra, Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported
The reform’s passage in parliament has been met with a discordant chorus of response ranging from applause to disappointment and even rage. The presidency hailed the development as a legacy for the future generations that will bring significant savings of money and other resources, while offering better quality services to the public.
Brushing aside “individual weaknesses” of the legislation, the Union of Cyprus Municipalities praised the vote as “the most important effort to modernise the model of administration since the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus.” The organization pointed out in a statement that consultations on the reform plan were based on the European Charter of Local Government, recommendations of the Council of Europe, and experts in service quality improvement.
The mayor of Nicosia Constantinos Yiorkadjis also welcomed the outcome of the vote, expressing disappointment that Strovolos Municipality was not incorporated into the new Nicosia Municipality, despite a plea by both mayors.
Paphos Mayor Phedonas Phedonos took a defiant stand, criticizing the reform for allegedly running contrary to the public interest.
“The political crimes that were orchestrated by five specific political figures as regards local government reform will accompany us for decades,” he said, as quoted by the Cyprus Mail, without mentioning names.
While the new health policy will fund the morning-after pill and various progesterone treatments, it will not cover condoms
With a decline in passengers due to Covid-19 and the energy crisis, among other factors, the city will focus on increasing the quality of service
The big highlights of the project are two cycling highways, one leading to Lower Austria in the south and another leading to Donaustadt
City officials found that simple messages about respecting residents’ sleep were most effective if coupled with the right presentation
The city has a strategy of putting 10,000 human-controlled and autonomous shuttles on the streets by 2030
Last week, the Chinese app was banned for Belgian federal employees for an initial period of six months
The city has learned a lot from an ongoing project for a solar roof on the Altonaer Museum
With a decline in passengers due to Covid-19 and the energy crisis, among other factors, the city will focus on increasing the quality of service
The big highlights of the project are two cycling highways, one leading to Lower Austria in the south and another leading to Donaustadt
The city has learned a lot from an ongoing project for a solar roof on the Altonaer Museum
While the new health policy will fund the morning-after pill and various progesterone treatments, it will not cover condoms
City officials found that simple messages about respecting residents’ sleep were most effective if coupled with the right presentation
The new itineraries are part of the DiscoverEU programme, which lets 18-year-olds travel by train between important European sites
The European Commission has published its first progress report charting the achievements of the socio-cultural movement that combines beauty, inclusion and sustainability
The 2023 edition of the creative initiative promises to be bigger, bolder and more inclusive
A talk with the head of Mission Zero Academy on the benefits for municipalities if they go the zero waste way
A talk with Nicolae Urs, one of the key figures behind the city's new data platforms and online services strategy
Veni Markovski’s take on dealing with disinformation in the European Union's poorest country – Bulgaria
