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Cyprus Explores Legal Recourse Following EU Demand for LNG Grant Refund

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 25, 2025

The Cypriot government is now assessing its strategic options after the European Commission issued a repayment demand. Energy Minister George Papanastasiou announced on Thursday that Cyprus must return €67.2 million from a total of €73 million allocated in grants for the Vasiliko liquefied natural gas terminal project. The minister clarified that funds amounting to €5.8 million, spent on activities predating the grant awards, remain unaffected by the demand.

EU Fund Repayment Demand

The repayment notice, issued by the European Climate, Infrastructure, and Environment Executive Agency (Cinea), follows earlier communications from the Commission. Initially, back in July of the previous year, the Commission had demanded repayment of the bulk of the funds, a figure that has been slightly reduced in the most recent correspondence. The stated demand cites possible irregularities during the evaluation phase of the tender process for the project, implicating several international consortium members including companies from the China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co and Metron Energy Applications SA.

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Government Response and Legal Consultation

Following the latest letter from Cinea, the Cypriot government responded with a detailed submission that was ultimately dismissed, leading to the reiterated demand. Minister Papanastasiou emphasized that legal experts are now reviewing the issue, with consultations involving specialized English legal advisors expected shortly. The government is considering a range of appeals, which might include approaches to the European Ombudsman or bringing the matter before the Court of Justice of the European Union. Notably, despite any pending legal actions, the government is obligated to deposit the €67.2 million by November 6 and later seek reimbursement if their appeals succeed.

Project Challenges and Technical Concerns

The broader context of this development includes significant operational and technical issues at the Vasiliko LNG terminal project. Originally launched in 2019, the project has faced delays and technical complexities, notably with aspects of the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Prometheas, currently undergoing certification in Malaysia. Questions over design and material standards have also surfaced, stalling progress at the project’s pier and contributing to prolonged delays.

Outlook and Future Implications

Despite the controversies, Minister Papanastasiou remains confident in the viability of the Vasiliko project, suggesting that once key assets such as the FSRU are operational, the remaining infrastructure can be completed to facilitate gasification and conventional power generation. The situation also underscores the broader challenges faced by governments managing EU-funded projects, particularly as rigorous compliance and oversight demand meticulous transparency and legal precision.

As Cyprus navigates these complex administrative and legal waters, the unfolding developments will have significant implications not only for national energy strategy but also for future engagements with EU funding mechanisms.

The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties

by News Editor

August 24, 2026

Courts Are Still Applying Old Copyright Rules To AI

AI companies train models on enormous amounts of published material, including books, articles and academic research. Whether using that content without authors’ permission violates copyright law remains unresolved.

Much of the debate centres on fair use, which allows copyrighted material to be used without permission in certain circumstances. Courts consider factors such as the purpose of the use, how much material was involved and its impact on the original market.

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Anthropic Case Sets An Important Precedent

A major case involving Anthropic and a group of authors provided one of the clearest rulings so far. Judge William Alsup found that using copyrighted books to train AI models was lawful, comparing the process to people reading and studying literature before creating something new.

Anthropic was nevertheless ordered to pay $1.5 billion in a settlement. The penalty concerned books the company had obtained from illegal online libraries rather than the AI training itself.

For AI companies, that distinction could prove significant because it separates studying copyrighted material from directly copying it.

Competition Could Be The Key Issue

A case involving Thomson Reuters and Ross Intelligence offers a different perspective. A court ruled that Ross could not claim fair use after using Reuters’ copyrighted material to develop a competing AI-powered legal research platform.

The decision suggests courts may be less willing to consider AI training fair use when copyrighted content is used to build a product that directly competes with the original.

For authors, an unresolved question is whether AI-generated content should be considered competition for the works used to train these models.

The Law Has Yet To Catch Up

US copyright law predates generative AI by decades, leaving courts to apply old principles to new technology. Questions also remain over copyright protection for AI-generated works. In Thaler v. Perlmutter, a court ruled that material created entirely by AI cannot receive copyright protection.

Major AI companies remain involved in copyright litigation, and different courts could reach different conclusions. For now, there is no universal rule: the legality of AI training will depend on the circumstances of each case and how courts ultimately interpret copyright and fair use.