NICOSIA— President Nikos Christodoulides announced Thursday a sweeping reform that places all crisis management services under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Interior, which will be renamed the Ministry of Interior and Civil Protection.
Speaking at the start of a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace, Christodoulides said the move is part of his administration’s broader modernization agenda, aimed at updating the structure of the Cypriot state, originally established in 1960.
“This is one of our five key priorities,” the president said. “We are moving forward with a flagship reform to establish a modern and effective national civil protection mechanism, aligned with international and European standards.”
The reform includes the transfer of the Fire Service, forest protection personnel from the Department of Forests, and the Civil Defense Department into a single unified structure under the newly renamed ministry.
Christodoulides noted that the first step was taken in October 2023, followed by technical support from France and funding from the European Commission. The goal, he said, is to end the fragmentation of crisis-related services across multiple ministries and create a coordinated national response system.
“This is a significant reform,” he added. “All relevant services will now operate together under one roof, ensuring stronger coordination and a more resilient national civil protection framework.”