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Cyprus Water Pricing Changes Explained: Who Pays More In 2026

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

February 9, 2026

New Era In Water Pricing

The public discourse has been dominated over the last 24 hours by debates on water pricing policy following vigorous interventions before the Parliamentary Agriculture Committee. The Water Development Department has clarified the often contentious issue of the “resource and environment charge,” sending a strong message: this public resource now carries a cost for everyone without exception.

Costs No Longer Considered Free

According to the Department, water can no longer be regarded as a free, inalienable entitlement. From small-scale farmers to investors developing golf courses, all must now contribute to the conservation costs, with charges that scale according to usage.

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Transitioning Away From Reservoir Dependence

Concerns about preferential access for golf courses have also been addressed. Authorities confirmed that the long-standing policy allowing certain golf facilities to draw from reservoirs is being phased out. By May 2026, deliveries of reservoir water to golf courses are scheduled to end entirely. Two major golf facilities in the Paphos district are already completing their transition away from the Aspokremmos irrigation system, shifting instead to alternative sources arranged through local community water projects.

Embracing Alternative Water Sources

Several golf courses now operate exclusively on reclaimed or recycled water. Others partially rely on treated wastewater or licensed private drilling systems. The revised pricing framework has increased charges for golf-related water use more sharply than for most other categories, reflecting the higher volumes typically consumed by these facilities.

Significant Increases In Charges

Under the updated green tax structure introduced in 2025, the total levy for golf courses supplied through government water projects rose from €0.36 to €0.42 per cubic meter. The environmental and resource component increased from €0.02 to €0.08. Water drawn from reclaimed sources is now priced at €0.29 per cubic meter, compared with €0.23 previously. This amount already includes both the financial and environmental elements, particularly in cases involving groundwater extraction. For tertiary-treated recycled water, €0.15 represents the financial fee and €0.14 the environmental and resource charge

Comparative Charges For Various Water Sources

Fees differ depending on the source. Irrigation from licensed private surface reservoirs now carries an environmental charge of €0.22 per cubic meter, double the previous rate. Groundwater abstraction for agriculture, livestock and aquaculture remains comparatively low at €0.01 per cubic meter. Water from government irrigation projects is priced at €0.17 per cubic meter, which includes €0.15 in financial fees and €0.02 in environmental and resource costs.

Legislative Mandates And The Path Forward

The Water Development Department emphasizes that the newly imposed fee is not a reactive measure to droughts but rather a statutory requirement stemming from the 2017 legislation, which mandates equitable contribution from all water users to safeguard dwindling water reserves. The environmental cost here is defined as the economic opportunity cost of environmental degradation (i.e., welfare loss), while the resource cost reflects the opportunity cost of alternative water uses due to overextraction relative to natural replenishment rates.

Compliance Under Scrutiny

Officials warned that Cyprus could face European penalties if water pricing rules are not applied uniformly. Since 2020, implementation has gradually expanded to include water boards, community councils, bottled-water suppliers and other large consumers, bringing all public water users under the same framework.

Balancing Economic And Environmental Sustainability

While some users have reported higher bills, authorities note that the increases are largely driven by consumption volume rather than extreme unit pricing. For most small and medium-scale farmers, the financial impact remains limited. The broader objective is to secure long-term water availability while distributing the cost of protection and infrastructure more fairly across all sectors.

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EU Services Production Grows As Information And Communication Lead

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

November 10, 2026

Services production continued to expand across the European Union in August 2026, with information and communication recording the strongest annual growth. However, performance varied significantly between industries and member states, while Cyprus reported a mixed picture, with business services expanding and hospitality-related activities declining.

Information And Communication Leads Sector Growth

Compared with August 2025, services production increased by 5.9% in the euro area and 5.8% across the EU in information and communication. Transportation and storage also recorded growth, rising by 2.1% and 1.9%, respectively.

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Real estate activities increased by 1.6% in the euro area and 1.1% in the EU. Professional, scientific and technical activities grew by 1% in both areas, while administrative and support services advanced by 1.1% and 1.3%.

Accommodation and food services was the only major sector to record an annual decline, falling by 0.1% in both the euro area and the EU.

The monthly figures were more mixed. Information and communication remained the strongest performer, increasing by 1.2% in the euro area and 1% across the EU. Real estate activities rose by 0.4% and 0.9%, respectively, while transportation and storage edged up 0.1% in the euro area but declined by 0.2% in the EU.

Administrative and support services recorded modest gains of 0.2% in the euro area and 0.1% in the EU. Accommodation and food services fell by 0.3% and 0.4%, while professional, scientific and technical activities declined by 0.8% and 0.9%, respectively.

Slovakia And Greece Record Strongest Annual Growth

Romania recorded the largest monthly increase in services production, at 5.2%, followed by Malta at 1.8% and Portugal at 1.7%. Luxembourg experienced the steepest decline, with output falling by 5.1%, followed by Bulgaria at 2.3% and Denmark at 1.9%.

On an annual basis, Slovakia led with growth of 10%, followed by Greece at 9.3% and Malta at 7.5%. Hungary recorded the weakest performance, with services production declining by 5.6%. Denmark fell by 5.3%, while Italy recorded a smaller decrease of 0.3%.

Cyprus Sees Growth In Business Services But Weakness In Hospitality

Cyprus’ latest figures show a similar divide between expanding business services and weaker hospitality-related activities. According to the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat), professional, scientific and technical activities recorded the strongest annual growth among the covered sectors in the second quarter of 2026, increasing by 3.4%.

Transportation and storage and information and communication both grew by 2.1%, while real estate activities rose by 1.6%. In contrast, accommodation and food services declined by 3.1% year on year, and administrative and support services fell by 2.2%.

First-half results were more favourable for several sectors. Between January and June, professional, scientific and technical activities grew by 3.5%, transportation and storage by 2.8%, real estate by 2.1% and information and communication by 1.3%.

Nevertheless, administrative and support services contracted by 1% over the six-month period, while accommodation and food services declined by 0.7%.

How Cyprus’ Figures Differ From Eurostat’s Data

The Eurostat and Cystat figures measure different aspects of economic activity and are not directly comparable. Eurostat’s services production index tracks changes in the volume of output, whereas Cystat’s Turnover Value Index for Services and Transport measures the value of sales at current prices.

The reporting periods also differ: Eurostat’s figures cover August, while the cited Cypriot data relate to the second quarter and first half of 2026.

Cystat transmits services production data to Eurostat but does not yet publish a separate national production index. Turnover figures therefore remain the main publicly available national indicator for the sector.

Taken together, the data point to continued growth in several of Cyprus’ business-oriented services, alongside persistent pressure on accommodation, food and administrative support activities.