Alpha Bank Cyprus Fined €160,000 For Abusive Mortgage Clauses

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

March 11, 2026

Regulatory Crackdown On Unfair Mortgage Terms

Alpha Bank Cyprus has been fined €160,000 by the national consumer protection authority for including abusive clauses in mortgage loan agreements. The enforcement action forms part of a broader investigation into standard housing loan contracts used by financial institutions in Cyprus.

Unjust Contractual Provisions Under Scrutiny

The authority’s decision, which took effect on March 9, requires the withdrawal of specific contractual terms that were found to create an imbalance between consumer rights and the bank’s obligations. According to the findings, certain clauses allowed the bank to modify interest rates and the method used to calculate them without clearly defined objective criteria, which could directly affect the overall cost of mortgage loans.

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Other provisions allowed the bank to offset and consolidate customer accounts without prior notice and treated returned communications as successfully delivered. Additional clauses transferred property revaluation costs to borrowers and allowed the bank to debit any customer account to settle outstanding debts.

Efforts Towards Compliance And Mitigating Measures

During the investigation, Alpha Bank Cyprus proposed amendments to several of the disputed clauses and initiated steps to remove others. Authorities noted that the bank cooperated with the investigation and began aligning its mortgage agreements with the relevant legislative and regulatory framework.

Industry-Wide Implications And Ongoing Investigations

The decision follows similar sanctions imposed on other banks operating in Cyprus. Earlier penalties included an €800,000 fine imposed on the Bank of Cyprus on September 23, 2025, while Hellenic Bank, which now operates as Eurobank Cyprus, received a €600,000 fine on September 22, 2025.

The penalties form part of a broader review by the consumer protection authority of mortgage loan contracts offered by banks in Cyprus. Investigations into contract terms used by other financial institutions are continuing as part of the same process

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Cyprus’ Poverty And Social Exclusion Risk Stands At 17.1%

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

October 20, 2026

Cyprus recorded a poverty or social exclusion risk rate of 17.1% in 2025, below the European Union average of 20.9%, according to new Eurostat figures. Across the bloc, however, more than 92 million people continued to face the risk, highlighting persistent social and economic inequalities.

More Than 92 Million People At Risk Across The EU

A total of 92.7 million people across the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2025, equivalent to just over one in five residents.

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Cyprus is treated as a single statistical region because of its size, unlike many member states divided into multiple regions for comparison. Its national figure therefore provides an overall picture but does not capture differences between districts or communities.

Regional Gaps Remain Stark Across Europe

The risk varied considerably across the EU, with the highest rates concentrated largely in southern, eastern and outermost regions. In 24 of the 243 regions with available data, at least 31.5% of the population faced poverty or social exclusion.

These regions were located in Spain, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, France and Romania, as well as Brussels in Belgium and Bremen in north-western Germany.

French Guiana recorded the highest rate, at 54.8%, followed by Calabria in southern Italy at 45.3% and Sicily at 44%. Melilla, a Spanish autonomous city, recorded 43.7%, while Réunion, another French outermost region, stood at 42.3%.

Central Europe Records The Lowest Rates

At the other end of the scale, 24 regions reported poverty or social exclusion risk rates below 13% in 2025. These included five eastern EU capital regions: Bratislava in Slovakia, Warsaw in Poland, Prague in the Czech Republic, Budapest in Hungary and Zagreb in Croatia.

Other regions with low rates were concentrated in northern Italy, the Czech Republic, northern Belgium, Hungary, Poland and Austria, illustrating the uneven distribution of economic security across Europe.

Cyprus Remains Below The EU Average

Cyprus’ rate of 17.1% places it below the EU average, although it remains higher than the levels recorded in the bloc’s lowest-risk regions.

The figures suggest that Cyprus performs relatively well compared with the wider EU, but poverty and social exclusion remain significant challenges across the bloc, affecting more than 92 million people.

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