Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides has said that the European Commission’s decision to close its infringement procedure over the island’s former “golden passport” scheme reflects the effectiveness of the government’s corrective measures.
Christodoulides said he was pleased that “the decisions we took — decisions that are being implemented — led to this outcome,” adding that the move “sends clear messages about our intentions and recognizes the work, decisions and political will we demonstrated on this issue.”
The Commission announced that it was terminating its case against Cyprus after concluding that the country had addressed concerns surrounding the now‑defunct citizenship‑by‑investment program, which Brussels had criticized for security risks and insufficient vetting.
Cyprus abolished the scheme in 2020 following revelations that it had granted passports to ineligible applicants, triggering EU scrutiny and domestic political fallout. Since then, authorities have tightened due‑diligence procedures, revoked dozens of improperly issued passports and introduced new compliance mechanisms.
The Commission’s decision marks the formal end of the infringement process, though Brussels has stressed that EU member states must avoid similar schemes in the future.