Cyprus parliament amends consumer protection law regarding contract terms

On Thursday, the Cyprus House of Representatives passed a legislative amendment to the Consumer Protection Law. Introduced by Stavros Papadouris of the Citizens' Alliance, the amendment allows courts to examine unfair contract terms regardless of when the contract was signed. Previously, the law only permitted scrutiny of terms in contracts established after 1997. This change is intended to align national legislation with European Union court directives, which mandate the removal of abusive clauses regardless of the agreement's age. The bill was approved with 25 votes in favor and 7 against. The seven dissenting votes were cast by DISY deputies: Dimitris Dimitriou, Nikos Georgiou, Giorgos Karoullas, Nikos Tornaritis, Savvia Orphanidou, Harris Georgiadis, and House President Annita Dimitriou. The amendment aims to provide relief to borrowers and consumers holding legacy contracts with banks or creditors.