Bill to legalize illegal boreholes, fines up to €3,000

Local lawTop Newswater Bill to legalize illegal boreholes, fines up to €3,000 Patates Agrotes Relevant News Bill to legalize illegal boreholes, fines up to €3,000 8 September 2026 Former Othello cinema ruled dangerous, health hazard found inside 8 September 2026 Businesses rush to remove illegal solar panels before EAC checks 8 September 2026 Angelos Nicolaou 8 September 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Cyprus’s Water Development Department is seeking to retroactively legalize boreholes that have operated for years without a water-use permit, under an amending bill to the Integrated Water Management Law being discussed on Tuesday in parliament’s Agriculture Committee. The move follows pressure from the European Commission, which has warned Cyprus that its water permit system does not meet EU requirements for periodic review. Grace periods have applied since 2010, but without any way to license boreholes drilled without a permit, and since 2020 the department has warned it would report users of illegal boreholes. As a result, while there are an estimated 100,000 legal boreholes in Cyprus, a further 20,000 are believed to be illegal. The European Commission formally raised the threat of sanctions with the department on November 14, 2024, through a warning letter, and again on December 11, 2025, through a reasoned opinion calling on Cyprus to ensure periodic review of water permits. Cyprus’s national law does not require such periodic review, which points to inadequate transposition of the EU’s Water Framework Directive. In its response, Cyprus acknowledged the need to amend its national legislation, but the amendment has not yet been approved. Cyprus now has a two-month deadline to respond and correct the deficiencies identified by the Commission; otherwise, the Commission could refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union. To address the breach and bring the Republic into compliance, the proposed bill introduces an explicit obligation on the department’s director to carry out frequent, periodic reviews of controls on groundwater and surface water abstraction, as well as on retention works. The abstraction register is updated regularly, and the frequency of permit reviews is capped at no more than 12 years. One of the bill’s most significant provisions concerns the handling of illegal or unlicensed water abstraction works, such as boreholes and wells, and retention works. Under the changes, the owner of an unlicensed structure is able to apply for retroactive licensing, paying an increased fee equal to double the standard licence fee. If the director rejects the legalization application, the owner is required to fill in, seal or close the borehole. For illegal retention works, such as unauthorised dams or reservoirs, rejection requires demolition at the violator’s expense. To tackle violations quickly without lengthy court proceedings, the bill proposes an out-of-court settlement system for offences. The out-of-court fine is set at up to 3,000 euros for violations including illegal borehole drilling, construction of retention works, illegal water abstraction, and unauthorised interference with natural watercourses. Notice is served within 30 days of a violation being established. If the fine is not paid within 15 days, it rises by half, to 4,500 euros; if it remains unpaid after 30 days, criminal prosecution follows. Alongside the fine, the director also serves notice requiring the sealing or filling of the well, or the demolition of illegal structures and restoration of the watercourse to its original state, within a deadline of no more than two months. Energy-related water works The bill also introduces a provision allowing water works to be licensed for energy production or storage purposes, such as floating solar panels or pumped-storage hydropower, which stores electricity by moving water between two reservoirs at different elevations. The amendment to the underlying law is intended to strengthen the institutional framework, update monitoring mechanisms, and ensure the sustainable and rational use of surface and groundwater. It also modernises the composition of the Water Management Advisory Committee (SEDY) by mandating the inclusion of representatives from all district local government organisations, in Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos and Famagusta, strengthening the role of local government in decision-making. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Former Othello cinema ruled dangerous, health hazard found inside Businesses rush to remove illegal solar panels before EAC checks Christodoulides, al-Sisi and Mitsotakis meet in El Alamein today Ayia Napa house fire damages storage shed and parked car Pension reform: three off-limits issues now back on the table DISY set to push presidential succession decision into October Cypriot families forced into debt as overseas treatment support falls short Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.