The Cyprus Parliament has passed the law allowing for the 19th amendment to the Cyprus Constitution, by way of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution Law of 2024 (L.171(I)/31/12/2024), having regognised the absence of various protections to applicable civil and human rights deriving from environmentally related matters, as well as regognising the changes on an international and global scale by which bodies such as the United Nations, the Council of Europe and other international organizations have been regognising the necessity to protect such rights.
Specifically, the said Law has introduced a new Article in the Cyprus Constitution, being Article 7A, which states the following:
ARTICLE 7A
- Each person has the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
- Each person has the right to-
- access to relevant information held by the competent authorities of the Republic, without being subject to the obligation to prove a direct and personal legitimate interest, as provided by law,
- access to justice in environmental matters, subject to Article 146; and
- an effective remedy for the violation of any right arising from this Article and relevant legislation.
- The protection of the natural environment is an obligation of the state, and for its protection the state is obliged to take preventive or repressive measures or restoration measures within the framework of the principle of sustainability.
- There shall be no interference with the exercise of this right except in accordance with the law and if it is necessary in the interests of the security of the Republic, constitutional order, territorial integrity, public security, public order, public health or the protection of the rights and freedoms guaranteed to all persons by the Constitution.
The introduction of the above Article into the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus is expected to allow for easier access to justice relating to environmental matters and a new body of legislation and Court decisions to follow on this basis in the coming years.
For any further guidance regarding this procedure or if you require an initial consultation, please do not hesitate to contact our Law Firm at [email protected], +357 22 251 777 or +357 25 261 777 or please visit our office in Nicosia or Limassol.