Farmers protest over foot-and-mouth disease measures and compensation
Farmers staged a protest at the Rizoelia roundabout that lasted over 12 hours, blocking all exits despite prior assurances to keep one lane open. The blockade caused significant traffic congestion, trapping hundreds of drivers and delaying officials traveling to an informal EU summit dinner in Ayia Napa. Justice Minister Kostas Fytiris expressed dissatisfaction with the police's handling of the situation, despite the police claiming their action plan was successful. Separately, the Ministry of Agriculture is addressing the foot-and-mouth disease crisis, which has resulted in 104 reported cases to date. The Veterinary Services have issued 45,000 euros in administrative fines for 8 illegal animal movement violations and referred 6 serious cases to the police. Following a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, Maria Panagiotou, farmers' organizations announced that compensation for culled animals will be significantly increased. Discussions regarding the future reactivation of livestock farms are scheduled for upcoming meetings.