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Cyprus Pushes Forward In Schengen Accession: Key Developments And Next Steps

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos chaired a ministerial meeting to review Cyprus’ progress toward joining the Schengen area. Attended by senior officials, including Ministers of the Interior, Justice, and Transport, as well as Deputy Ministers for Immigration, Social Welfare, and Tourism, the meeting aimed to assess the implementation of the European Commission’s recommendations.

Foreign Minister Kombos highlighted the steps taken to meet EU criteria and reaffirmed Cyprus’ commitment to effective border management. In his message to newly appointed EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, Kombos emphasized Cyprus’ dedication to Schengen membership.

A key development was the creation of a Schengen Task Force within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enhance coordination between ministries and responsible services.

The meeting focused on six critical areas of compliance: personal data protection, police cooperation, external border control, returns, visas, and the Schengen Information System (SIS). Progress was reviewed, and challenges requiring immediate attention were identified.

To accelerate progress, a roadmap was established with a monitoring mechanism to track implementation. Ministries and deputy ministries were instructed to resolve outstanding issues in the coming weeks, with a follow-up review meeting scheduled for the end of February.

Only 1% Of Cyprus Farms Use Precision Farming Technologies

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

Cyprus remains one of the European Union’s least digitised agricultural economies, with just 1% of farms using precision farming technologies in 2023, according to Eurostat.

The findings come as the EU continues to encourage the adoption of digital tools aimed at improving agricultural productivity, efficiency and sustainability.

Internet Access Expands, But Digital Uptake Lags

Internet access has improved across the bloc, although adoption remains uneven. Eurostat found that 43% of EU farms had internet access in 2023, with northern and central European countries leading the way.

Denmark, Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, the Czech Republic and Austria all reported internet access rates above 90%.

Greater connectivity, however, has not translated into widespread digital adoption. Farm management information systems, which help farmers manage day-to-day operations, were used by only about 11% of EU farms. France was a notable exception, with around 60% of farms using the technology.

Precision Farming Concentrated In Larger Operations

Robotics adoption also remained relatively limited, with only about 7% of EU farms using robotic technologies. Overall, around 18% of farms with utilised agricultural area employed at least one precision farming technology or practice in 2023.

These included robotics for plant protection, band spraying, variable-rate application, precision crop monitoring and soil analysis. Despite representing fewer than one in five farms, these holdings accounted for around 44% of the EU’s utilised agricultural area.

The figures suggest that precision farming remains concentrated among larger agricultural businesses, where investment in digital technologies is typically easier to support.

Cyprus Lags Behind EU Leaders

Luxembourg, Finland and Estonia recorded the highest shares of utilised agricultural area managed by farms using precision farming technologies, each exceeding 75%.

At the other end of the ranking, Cyprus recorded just 1%, while Greece and Romania reported between 10% and 15%. The results indicate that Cyprus remains at an early stage of digital adoption in agriculture, even as precision farming becomes more widespread across parts of the European Union.

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