EU piracy loopholes raise questions over Cyprus website-blocking powers

Cyprus’ ability to tackle illegal online streaming has come back into focus after a European Parliament report published this week, exposed wide differences in how EU countries block piracy websites, with some able to act within just 30 minutes. The new briefing, issued by the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS), found that enforcement remains fragmented across the bloc, despite growing pressure to tackle illegal broadcasts and protect copyright holders. At the centre of the problem are dynamic blocking injunctions, which allow internet providers to block new websites or online addresses used to distribute material already found to be illegal, without requiring a fresh court order each time. This matters particularly for live sports broadcasts, where pirate operators can move streams between websites within minutes, often faster than authorities can respond. For Cyprus, the findings raise questions about whether existing enforcement procedures can keep pace. Under the island’s copyright legislation, courts can issue injunctions against internet intermediaries whose services are used to infringe copyright. However, Cyprus is not among the countries identified in the latest briefing as having a dedicated dynamic blocking framework. An earlier assessment by the European Audiovisual Observatory, published in 2021, also raised concerns about the time required to obtain court orders in Cyprus, particularly when dealing with illegal live sports broadcasts. That assessment does not establish whether subsequent changes have addressed those concerns. Elsewhere in Europe, Belgium, France, Greece and Italy have explicitly introduced dynamic blocking injunctions into their legislation, while Ireland, Spain and the Netherlands have developed similar arrangements through existing laws and court decisions. The differences are particularly striking when it comes to enforcement. In Italy, internet providers must block offending websites within 30 minutes once the relevant authority validates a report. In Greece, providers with more than 20,000 subscribers face a similar deadline after receiving a blocking order. Belgium, meanwhile, requires its competent court to issue a decision within eight days. However, faster procedures have not brought online piracy under control. According to EU monitoring, 26.2 million unauthorised retransmissions were detected between January 2024 and June 2025, with 89 per cent not suspended following notifications from rights holders. The European Commission acknowledged in November 2025 that measures introduced to tackle illegal live broadcasts had failed to bring about a substantial reduction in piracy. Although EU law and court rulings establish common principles for protecting intellectual property, there is still no fully harmonised European system governing dynamic blocking injunctions. The EPRS also warns that restrictions must remain proportionate, particularly where blocking an internet address could inadvertently affect legitimate websites.