Is Cyprus doing enough to fight illegal landfills?
Every year the European Union produces 2.2 billion tons of waste; around 5 tons per capita. The European Union promotes prevention and re-use, followed by recycling if not possible. The final and most harmful option is disposal.
Around 15% of EU waste currently ends up in landfills and their use is heavily regulated. A 1999 Directive lays down standards to protect human health and the environment, namely surface water, groundwater, soil and air, from the negative effects of waste collection, transport, storage, treatment and disposal. Only safe and controlled landfill activities are allowed. Failure to comply results in fines.
The Directive limits the share of municipal waste landfilled to less than 10% by 2035. Illegal landfills across the EU have steadily decreased over past years. However, the European Commission has referred several Member States to the Court of Justice of the EU, and Cyprus has already been condemned for its failure to control illegal dumping.
Local NGOs in the Republic of Cyprus have been tracking and denouncing illegal dumps for years.
'The main consequences are for the environment, and they are also for human health. All this trash leaves toxins and pollutes nature, it pollutes our groundwater, it pollutes everything,' says Natasa Ioannou, Project Leader at Friends of the Earth Cyprus as we walk through a massive illegal dump near Nicosia, the country's capital.
Yet solutions are at hand, she claims.
'You definitely need to have a concise, organised and very well-established (disposal) infrastructure. Because if people don't have a 'green point' close to them, this is what is going to happen in the end. The second solution is policing and, of course, enforcing all the laws. When you know that there is something going on and it has been going on for quite a long time, surveillance cameras need to be implemented.** You also need to give incentives to people to manage their waste. It's not always, I mean, 'you're doing this wrong; I'm going to give you a fine'. There always has to be other opportunities for circular economy practices.'
Activists have helped to develop an interactive map where dumps are tracked in real time.
'When I come to these places and I see these things, I feel anger and disappointment. I mean, this is not how our countryside should be. This is not how Cyprus should be. It's disgusting,' says Natasa as she takes us to a second illegal landfill just 30 minutes away from the first one. 'What authorities say to us is that they don't have the resources. Then you need to find the ways to get the resources. Having the same excuse year after year after year, it shows lack of political will.'
What are Cyprus authorities doing?
A very limited but concrete response comes from a small district in Nicosia, the first to introduce the 'Pay-as-you-throw' programme.
Encouraged by the EU, the scheme allows waste fees paid by users to be modulated according to the amount of mixed waste delivered to the management system, explains the district's deputy mayor.
'In the first year of the system's implementation, we managed 5,000 tons of waste. You generate a 40% reduction in municipal garbage,' explains Andreas Constantinou, the district's deputy mayor. 'The road to change mindsets was not paved with rose petals, but we invested mainly in the new generation. We entered schools and tried, through children, to change the mindsets of grown-ups.'
Other municipalities are set to follow the example soon. But this falls short of the country's huge needs. The very day of our filming, the European Commission sent Cyprus to the EU Court of Justice once again, and requested more fines for its failure to manage illegal landfills.
The Director of the country's Department for the Environment meets us in one of Nicosia's eight Green Points, where 8,000 tons of waste were sorted last year.
The Government acknowledges decades-long 'inertia' and 'weaknesses' in its waste management.
But Theodoulos Mesimeris claims things will soon improve.
'There are more than 20 Green Points operating now in Cyprus, and the aim is to have the right network. So another 50 such points have been launched, as well as other infrastructures, such as 'green corners' and recycling areas, so that we can provide the right choices for citizens and the availability of materials for recovery, for re-use, for recycling. It is a fact that the existing infrastructure cannot meet the requirements of the institutional framework,' he says.
'The restoration and cleaning of the remaining points will be underway within the next two months. The objective is to clean Cyprus of illegal waste sites immediately and at the same time to have those mechanisms that will not allow the phenomenon of illegal dumping to happen again.'
Cyprus's own government has acknowledged that the cost of remediating an illegal dump is higher than operating a lawful waste-management facility.
A Telegram channel activated last Friday and fraudulently branded as Euronews Romania is planting disinformation and false claims targeting the Romanian and Moldovan presidents.
Its creators – which have no affiliation or link to Euronews – claim that Romania's recently elected President Nicușor Dan discussed 'methods of combating the opposition press' with his Moldovan counterpart Maia Sandu during his visit to Chișinău on Tuesday.
Euroverify analysed both presidents' statements to the press during that visit and found no evidence to back these allegations.
Sandu instead accused Russia of waging a 'war of manipulation and misinformation', while Dan vowed closer cooperation on tackling Moscow's 'hybrid warfare'.
The unfounded claims made in the bogus channel have been directly quoted in Russian state-sponsored newspaper Pravda.
In a pinned post, the creators also purport that the Telegram channel is an 'official' source of Euronews Romania reporting created by the management team to counter the recent use of doctored Euronews reports on the messaging app.
However, neither the channel nor its content is the work of Euronews journalists.
Euronews Romania does not have an official channel on Telegram, and said in a statement that the action is part of a "sustained' disinformation campaign that 'illegally' uses Euronews' branding.
The fake account was created amid an uptick in recent weeks in false videos attributed to Euronews on pro-Russian Telegram channels, which aim to discredit or undermine the pro-European governments in Bucharest and Chișinău.
These initially appeared to sow confusion and distrust in the context of last month's tense presidential run-off in Romania, which saw pro-EU centrist Dan edge to victory after a campaign marred by disinformation and alleged Russian interference.
The actors behind these doctored videos have now shifted their focus to neighbouring Moldova, where recent elections and referendums have been overshadowed by Russia's hybrid war techniques.
Amongst the false claims made in these videos are that the Republic of Moldova ranks first in terms of the number of carriers of sexually transmitted diseases in Europe, or that Moldova is a driver of irregular migration into the European Union.
Crunch parliamentary elections are set to be held in Moldova on 28 September, with President Sandu's pro-European PAS party facing a growing challenge from opposition forces.
A poor showing for PAS could reshape the country's political landscape and hinder progress on the path to EU integration, which Sandu has accelerated during her five years in power.
Last October, a referendum in Moldova on whether to enshrine the country's wish to join the European Union into the constitution was plagued by interference, including reports that €14 million in Russian funds had been funnelled directly into the accounts of 130,000 Moldovans in a bid to buy their anti-EU votes.
That referendum saw Moldovans vote 'yes' to EU membership by a razor-thin majority of 50.4%.
In recent weeks, a Kremlin-backed bot network known as Operation Matryoshka has launched a coordinated disinformation campaign targeting Sandu, circulating fake images depicting her execution.
Posts published in the fake Euronews Telegram on Tuesday claim Dan 'shared his experience in limiting the opposition press' with Sandu during his Chișinău visit, adding that Sandu's PAS party sees this as the 'main tool for gaining and retaining power' in September's parliamentary elections.
A closer look at the post shows that Dan has been misspelt as 'Nikușor', which could mirror Russian pronunciation of the president's name, according to our analysis.
These allegations match the broader playbook of disinformation narratives that Euroverify has detected concerning Romania's presidential ballot.
Disinformation targeting the Romanian ballot often claimed that the pro-Western, pro-European governing forces were suffocating free speech and hindering Conservative, Eurosceptic forces
Telegram's founder, Russian-born Pavel Durov, has fed this playbook with uncorroborated claims that France's intelligence chief asked him to "silence" Romanian conservative voices by banning them from his messaging app in the run-up to last month's presidential ballot.
Euroverify previously assessed that this claim was unfounded.
Telegram was founded by Durov and his eldest brother Nikolai in 2013, and has been championed by journalists and activists for its strong encryption and security.
But the app has recently come under scrutiny for the spread of illegal content and disinformation.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
4 hours ago
- Euronews
'Iran didn't want a result' - Was Iran just playing with Wadephul?
On Friday, all political observers looked to Geneva in Switzerland where talks with Iran took place at the Intercontinental Hotel. Together with France, Great Britain and Vice President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas, Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) negotiated for four hours with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi about Iran's nuclear programme. Wadephul's mission: to dispel concerns about nuclear armament with a new nuclear deal in order to de-escalate the Israel-Iran conflict. Before the meeting, Wadephul demanded "serious readiness" from Iran and to renounce "any enrichment of nuclear material". "The ball is now in Iran's court," he said. Euronews learnt that Germany held the talks in confidential consultation with Israel and the US. However, neither country attended the discussions. Iran requires 'Israeli aggression to stop' for further talks "There is no room for negotiations with us until Israeli aggression stops," said Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi. Iran's ambassador to the UN, Ali Bahreini, told Euronews that Iran would present "points" in Geneva that would show Europe's "failure" in the conflict. Europe should stop supporting Israel, he added. Huge pressure on Tehran before the talks The pressure on Tehran increased before the meeting. Following the recent Iranian missile attacks, Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said: "A dictator like Khamenei, who is at the head of a country like Iran and has made the destruction of Israel his mission, must not be allowed to continue to exist". Although political experts predicted "no breakthrough" from the outset, expectations rose due to US President Donald Trump leaving a window of opportunity open for possible de-escalation. He wants to make a decision within "two weeks" as to whether the US will intervene in the conflict alongside Israel. At the same time, Israel declared that they would be able to destroy deeply bunkered facilities militarily without the US - one of these bunkers is home to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Wadephul's Iran meeting ends without result After four hours of negotiations, Foreign Minister Wadphul said: "The good result today is that we left the room with the impression that the Iranian side is basically prepared to continue talking about all important issues". He added that it was important for the US to be involved in further negotiations and a solution. Iran's foreign minister hints at halting negotiations Following the Geneva meeting, the Iranian foreign minister said: "We support the continuation of talks with the three European countries and the European Union," said Foreign Minister Araghchi. "But as long as Israel's attacks continue, we will not negotiate with ANY party." In an interview with Euronews, political observer Carsten Ovens, head of the European Leadership Network (ELNET), summarises the outcome as follows: "Foreign Minister Wadephul's efforts are important," Ovens said. "However, Iran was clearly not interested in a result." Did Iran "play" with the West in Geneva? Ovens adds: "The talks in Geneva make it clear: Iran is playing with the West and wants to stall for time." He goes on to say that Iran is "continuing its efforts to develop offensive weapons to destroy the state of Israel and this devalues the diplomatic efforts of the past ten years." The Iranian regime has "repeatedly undermined the 2015 nuclear agreement and continuously expanded its nuclear capabilities as well as its ballistic missile programme", according to the Middle East expert. "The EU's adherence to the nuclear agreement was wrong" German-Iranian FDP politician Bijan Djir-Sarai told Euronews that the negotiations were hopeless from the outset. "Without the USA and Israel, the EU's negotiations are irrelevant," said the foreign policy expert. IDjir-Sarai believes that it is no longer possible to rely on old strategies such as nuclear treaties and that there needs to be a political rethink. "The EU's adherence to the nuclear agreement was wrong. A new strategy in dealing with the regime is necessary," he said. Ovens: "Iran threatens the region and Europe too" The head of the European Leadership Network is convinced that Iran will not stop increasing its nuclear capabilities. Ovens warns: "A nuclear-armed Iran poses an immediate and existential threat - for the region as well as for Europe." For some political observers, the German initiative for talks with Iran came as a surprise. A few days ago, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) said that Israel was doing the "dirty work" for everyone with its military action against the Iranian regime. "Otherwise we might have seen months and years more of this regime's terror and then possibly with a nuclear weapon in their hands," said Chancellor Merz. On Thursday, Chancellor Merz then announced: "I support the intensive efforts of Foreign Minister Wadephul. Iran is called upon to negotiate an agreement quickly. We want to make our diplomatic contribution to this." Wadephul's Iran mission also caused irritation in the CDU/CSU's own ranks. This is because the CDU and CSU are divided on the extent to which negotiations with Iran on its nuclear programmes make sense. Many in the CDU in particular assume that Iran is continuing to build nuclear weapons in underground facilities despite official agreements. What's more, many in the CDU/CSU consider the nuclear agreement with the Iranian regime to be a "sham". CDU member of the Bundestag Roderich Kiesewetter criticised the agreement to Phoenix: "What are we negotiating about? The regime has the destruction of Israel as its state doctrine and is continuing to build a nuclear bomb. Instead of nuclear negotiations, Israel's actions should be "politically supported". CDU foreign policy expert Norbert Röttgen expresses a similar sentiment. He said: "The rulers in Tehran have led Europe around by the nose for years. The nuclear negotiations were not a way to find a solution, but a means of gaining time, building up pressure and obtaining concessions."
LeMonde
7 hours ago
- LeMonde
Iran-Israel conflict: Macron says Europeans will 'accelerate negotiations' with Iran
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday, June 21, that France and its European partners would ramp up talks with Iran, following more than a week of hostilities between Iran and Israel. On Friday, British, French, German and EU top diplomats held talks in Geneva with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, a week after Israel started its bombardment. They urged Iran to revive diplomatic efforts with the United States to find a solution in the standoff over its nuclear programme, but Tehran warned it could only consider diplomacy once Israel halted its bombardment. On Saturday, Macron said talks will be stepped up in an effort to avoid greater conflict. "I am convinced that a path exists to end war and avoid even greater dangers," Macron said, in English, on X after holding phone talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. "To achieve this, we will accelerate the negotiations led by France and its European partners with Iran." Macron reiterated that "Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons." "It is up to Iran to provide full guarantees that its intentions are peaceful," he added. He once again demanded that Iran release French nationals Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who have been held since May 2022 on espionage charges that their families reject. "Their inhumane detention is unjust," Macron said. "I expect them to return to France."
Euronews
10 hours ago
- Euronews
German and French industry united on US aircraft sector tariffs
The German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI) wants only US completed products aircraft and helicopters to be targeted by the EU for retaliatory tariffs - leaving the market for the supply of parts unscathed - if trade negotiations between the EU and the US founder, the group has told Euronews. It's position aligns it with the French sector's stance. 'If the EU must respond, counter-tariffs should focus strictly on fully finished aerospace end products – such as complete aircraft and helicopters – and explicitly exclude spare parts or critical products,' BDLI said in an email to Euronews. 'This is essential to avoid unintended harm to European and global production networks.' US aircraft are included in the European Commission's draft list of €95 billion worth of US products that could face duties if ongoing negotiations fail. The list was open for industry consultation until 10 June and now awaits approval by EU member states. BDLI's position mirrors that of Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury, who also chairs the French aerospace association GIFAS. Speaking to French media in May, Faury backed tariffs on finished aircraft but warned against measures affecting spare parts, to avoid disrupting the global supply chain. A source familiar with the matter told Euronews that the French government supports the stance of its aerospace industry. In response to the EU's inclusion of aircraft in its draft retaliation list, the US has launched an investigation that could pave the way for the Trump administration to impose additional tariffs on the EU aerospace sector. Trade tensions between the EU and the US risk reigniting the long-standing rivalry between aerospace giants Boeing and Airbus. However, the two economies' production systems are tightly intertwined. For instance, the LEAP engine, used in both Airbus and Boeing jets, is co-produced by US-based General Electric and France's Safran. Aircraft remain a central issue in ongoing EU-US negotiations. Following a discussion with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada on Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said both leaders had directed their teams to accelerate negotiation. EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič also met with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Monday, on the margins of the G7. A follow-up meeting with US counterparts is scheduled to take place in Washington on Thursday and Friday, an EU spokesperson confirmed. The US currently imposes tariffs of 50% on EU steel and aluminium, 25% on cars, and 10% on all other EU imports. President Trump has warned he will raise tariffs on all EU imports to 50% if no 'fair' agreement is reached by 9 July.
