The Union of Cyprus Municipalities in Cyprus has welcomed what it called a “responsible stance” by the House of Representatives, after lawmakers rejected a bill and accompanying regulations that would have imposed a sanitary-landfill tax on municipal waste.
The union said the vote vindicated its recent lobbying, arguing that local authorities and residents should not be made to shoulder the cost of the state’s long-standing failure to build the infrastructure needed for effective waste management.
It stressed that it remains fully supportive of national and EU environmental targets, including the shift towards a circular economy, but said meeting those goals requires proper planning, adequate infrastructure, cooperation between all stakeholders and a fair sharing of responsibility. Passing the cost on to residents for failures that are not of their making, it said, “cannot be justified.”
The union called on the government to enter into substantive dialogue with local authorities to design a workable and fair framework, one that protects the environment, meets Cyprus’s EU obligations and avoids placing an unjustified financial burden on citizens.
It added that it would continue to submit “responsible and well-documented proposals” aimed at shaping an effective waste-management policy that serves the environment, local government and society alike.
