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Mousiouttas Chairs EU Discussions On Skills And Labour Market Policies

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

March 9, 2026

Cyprus Sets Ambitious Youth Employment Agenda

Labour Minister Marinos Mousiouttas announced new initiatives aimed at strengthening employment opportunities for young people. The measures form part of a labour market strategy for 2026-2028.

Policy Frameworks And Targeted Initiatives

Responding to a question from MP Charalambos Theopemptou of the Green Party, Mousiouttas said the initiatives build on existing policies under the National Strategy for Active Employment Measures for 2023-2025 and a draft strategy submitted to the European Commission in December 2025. Planned actions include personalised counselling, individual action plans and subsidised employment programmes designed to support young job seekers entering the labour market.

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Eurostat data show that youth unemployment in Cyprus stood at 15% in December 2025, close to the EU average. Data from the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat) indicate that unemployment among people aged 15-24 reached 14.7% in the fourth quarter of 2025, compared with 9.6% in the same period a year earlier.

Structural Reforms And Long-Term Vision

Mousiouttas also referred to measures introduced in recent years to support young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEETs). An early identification system allows individuals registering with public employment services to be referred to employment counsellors.

An outreach programme operating between January 2024 and August 2025 used mobile units to provide employment support in both urban and rural areas. According to the ministry, the programme engaged 542 young people classified as NEETs, providing information and guidance on available employment services. Efforts to strengthen technical and vocational education are also underway. The education ministry has allocated €30 million to support related programmes.

At the same time, a project aimed at modernising the public employment service is running until 2027 with a budget of €17.8 million. Authorities have also established the National Lifelong Guidance Agency to provide career guidance and support services.

EU Engagement And Strategic Dialogue

Mousiouttas is currently in Brussels participating in meetings of the EU Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO). Agenda items include discussions on the 2026 European Semester, labour market policies linked to skills shortages and the impact of artificial intelligence on employment. The council is also expected to discuss a new EU recommendation on human capital aimed at improving coordination between education, training and labour market policies across the bloc. Participants in the discussions include EU commissioners and economists such as Christopher Pissarides.

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Cyprus Expects More French Visitors In 2027 As Air Capacity Expands

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 18, 2026

Cyprus expects more French visitors in 2027 as airlines increase capacity between the two countries, Tourism Deputy Minister Kostas Koumis said after meetings with tour operators in Paris.

France, one of Cyprus’ key tourism markets, has had a difficult 2026. French arrivals fell 46% year over year to 8,453 in August, from 15,663 a year earlier, according to the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat). August arrivals were also nearly 50% below the 16,798 recorded in the same month of 2024.

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Overall, Cyprus received 2.82 million tourist arrivals between January and August, down 7% from the same period in 2025.

Air Connectivity Supports 2027 Outlook

Koumis discussed the 2027 outlook with senior executives from tour operators offering Cyprus holidays during the IFTM Top Resa travel trade fair in Paris.

Higher air capacity between France and Cyprus was a key focus of the talks. Participants also discussed the impact of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East on the French market and Cyprus’ efforts to adapt its tourism offering to French travelers.

“The French market is undoubtedly an extremely important market for our country’s tourism,” Koumis said, adding that France had regained importance only a few years ago and still had room to grow.

Improved air connectivity will be an important factor in that expansion, according to Koumis. “It is now clear that air connectivity between France and Cyprus is improving significantly, which is a basic prerequisite for the further growth of the market,” he said.

Cyprus Promotes Tourism And Regional Cooperation

Koumis attended the opening of IFTM Top Resa at the invitation of French Tourism Minister Serge Papin, who later visited the Cyprus stand. Held from Sept. 15 to 17 at Paris Porte de Versailles, the event brought together more than 32,000 tourism professionals representing 177 destinations and 1,650 brands, according to organizers.

During his visit, Koumis also met Egyptian Tourism Minister Sherif Fathy. Cyprus and Egypt reaffirmed their tourism cooperation and discussed opportunities to strengthen ties further.

French media interviews covered Cyprus’ tourism offering, infrastructure and services, along with efforts to develop specialized tourism products. Regional instability weighed on arrivals in 2026, particularly during the spring, although the decline narrowed over the summer.