Cyprus used its six-month Presidency of the Council of the European Union to advance key initiatives on digital policy, artificial intelligence, research and innovation, according to Deputy Minister Nicodemos Damianou, who said the country helped shape a more ambitious agenda for Europe’s technological future.
Speaking on CyBC’s Apo Mera se Mera, Damianou said the Presidency had received broad recognition from European partners, crediting careful preparation, strong coordination and effective execution throughout the six-month term.
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“The broad recognition that the Cyprus Presidency has received from our European partners reflects the serious preparation, collective effort and effective management that have characterised these six months,” he said in a statement following the interview.
A Presidency Measured By Outcomes
Damianou said the success of a Council Presidency should be measured not by the number of meetings it hosts, but by the progress it delivers. Cyprus, he argued, focused on advancing priorities that support Europe’s competitiveness in technology, research and innovation.
He said much of that agenda has been shaped by the Draghi report, published in September 2024, which warned that Europe risks falling behind unless it significantly increases investment in technological development.
Since then, the European Union has placed greater emphasis on strategic autonomy, technological independence and a single market capable of helping innovative businesses scale more effectively across member states.
According to Damianou, that challenge remains significant, with around 85% of European businesses still relying on technologies developed outside Europe, including cloud services and artificial intelligence.
A Broad And Demanding Policy Agenda
Against that backdrop, the Cyprus Presidency oversaw negotiations on a wide range of legislative and policy files covering cybersecurity, connectivity, digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, space technologies, research and innovation.
Damianou noted that Europe’s dependence on external technologies also extends to the space sector, where many satellite capabilities continue to rely on systems developed outside the bloc.
Artificial intelligence remained at the centre of discussions. A conference held in Nicosia during the Presidency examined how member states can strengthen Europe’s technological capabilities and shape the next phase of AI development together.
Research Funding And Europe’s Next Framework Programme
Cyprus also helped move forward negotiations on the EU’s next research and innovation framework programme covering the 2028-2034 period.
Damianou described the discussions as particularly challenging because they required consensus among all 27 member states. He added that the programme is expected to have roughly double the budget of Horizon Europe, which currently stands at around €95 billion.
He said research funding is increasingly viewed as a strategic investment that supports industrial competitiveness, technological sovereignty and the retention of highly skilled talent.
Protecting Minors In A More Complex Digital World
Alongside legislative work, the Presidency also prioritised online child protection. Damianou said advances in artificial intelligence have made the digital environment more complex, increasing concerns about the safety of younger users.
Discussions focused on two key issues: setting appropriate minimum ages for access to online platforms and establishing more effective age-verification systems. He argued that relying solely on platforms to verify users’ ages has proved insufficient, as many services still depend largely on self-declaration.
Cyprus As A Showcase For Innovation
Beyond legislative work, Damianou said the Presidency provided Cyprus with an opportunity to present its own research and innovation ecosystem to European partners.
He said closer cooperation between Cypriot researchers, businesses and public officials and their counterparts across Europe was among the Presidency’s less visible but important achievements.
Cyprus also showcased ongoing work in medicine, artificial intelligence and digital technologies, reinforcing its ambition to become a regional hub for innovation, knowledge and international cooperation.
What Citizens Should Expect Next
What Citizens Should Expect Next
Looking ahead, Damianou said Cyprus will continue expanding its digital transformation agenda while placing greater emphasis on helping citizens make fuller use of services that are already available online.
He pointed to the recently launched online police service, which was used by around 850 people during its first week to obtain criminal record certificates electronically. At the same time, the long-awaited digital justice system has entered its pilot phase in cooperation with the Cyprus Bar Association and the judicial service, while additional digital projects are progressing for the Road Transport Department, the Deputy Ministry of Migration and the Registrar of Companies.
Work is also accelerating on the Digital Citizen initiative, with further developments expected over the next six months and throughout 2027. Although digital identity has already been used in elections, Damianou said wider adoption remains a priority.
He noted that around 42,000 citizens accessed online civil registry services over the past year to obtain documents such as identity cards and birth certificates. Even so, many people continue to visit citizen service centres for procedures that are already available digitally.
For Damianou, that highlights the next challenge: expanding digital services is no longer enough. Encouraging wider public awareness and greater confidence in using them will be equally important as Cyprus continues its digital transformation.
The broader objective, he added, is for Cyprus to contribute to a Europe with a stronger technological base while remaining open to international cooperation, a vision reflected in the Cyprus Presidency’s motto: “An autonomous Union, open to the world.”
