Cabinet decides to upgrade national civil protection and appoints temporary coordinator

The Cypriot Cabinet, led by President Nikos Christodoulides, has announced plans to upgrade the national civil protection framework to meet European standards. The reform, initiated in 2023, aims to create a centralized National Civil Protection Mechanism to address fragmentation of responsibilities among state agencies. Pending formal parliamentary approval of the governing legislation, the Cabinet has appointed Fire Chief Nikos Longinos as the temporary National Coordinator. Longinos will take over responsibilities for wildfire management during the summer season, replacing the Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Andreas Grigoriou. This move is designed to resolve long-standing operational disputes between the Fire Service and the Forestry Department. During the period when Longinos acts as coordinator, Fire Chief position duties will be assumed by Assistant Director Christoforos Stylianou. Certain reports suggest that the previous coordination structure was criticized for lacking the necessary expertise for effective crisis management. The government expects these measures to ensure a unified and efficient response to future natural disasters.