Cyprus parliament passes laws on state land disposal and property debt records

The Cyprus House of Representatives has passed two significant pieces of legislation during its plenary session. First, with a vote of 24 in favor and 15 against, the parliament approved a bill proposed by AKEL MP Christos Christofides to regulate the disposal of state-owned land valued over 500,000 euros. This law mandates open competitive bidding for leasing or granting usage rights, with a specific provision for renewable energy projects to be awarded based on the lowest electricity price for consumers. The move aims to increase transparency and prevent corruption in state land management. Second, the parliament unanimously passed a proposal by the Parliamentary Refugee Committee to amend the Civil Procedure Law, invalidating court-ordered property debt registrations for real estate located in the occupied territories. This measure is intended to remove legal burdens from refugee property owners, although the Legal Service previously expressed concerns regarding the bill's constitutionality. Supporters argued that these debt entries were useless to banks and hindered access to state financial aid, such as the Central Agency for Equal Distribution of Burdens. The bill will result in the removal of these entries from the District Land Office records.