Minister of Justice and Public Order of Cyprus, Costas Fitiris has presented the priorities of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU related to his portfolio for the first half of 2026, in the context of an exchange of views with members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI), in Brussels.
Speaking on 28 January, he gave assurances that the Presidency will work towards the safeguarding of the Union’s interests and the strengthening of its independence through enhanced competitiveness.
Opening his intervention, Fitiris thanked the JURI Committee for its contribution to the co-legislative process. At the core of the Cypriot agenda, as he noted, are the protection of citizens, the fight against all forms of discrimination, and the strengthening of equality and social rights. At the same time, he underlined that the Presidency will work towards the “safeguarding of the Union’s interests and the strengthening of its independence through enhanced competitiveness,” alongside support for democracy and the effective fight against crime.
According to the Minister, the Cyprus Presidency will place particular emphasis on the “package on the protection of adults.” As he stated, the Presidency will seek the swift completion of negotiations on the relevant Regulation, which aims at “ensuring better protection of vulnerable adults in cross-border situations” and supporting them in the management of their personal or financial affairs. “The Council has already agreed on the final text of the Regulation and we are optimistic that at the Justice and Home Affairs Council in March we will achieve a general approach,” he noted, in order for trilogue negotiations to begin.
Referring to the Regulation on the mutual recognition of parenthood, Fitiris acknowledged the sensitivity of the file, while respecting the opinion issued by the JURI Committee in 2023. Furthermore, “the Cyprus Presidency will give priority to achieving substantial progress on the Regulation to ensure the recognition within the European Union of parenthood established in another Member State,” the Minister stressed.
As regards the negotiating strategy to increase the chances of unanimity within the Council, he stated that “we intend to focus on the provisions on jurisdiction and applicable law, which are the most critical, as many other issues depend on them. We will make every possible effort to bridge the significant differences that still exist.” He added that, in the overall handling of the file, “the political discussion held within the Council in 2024 and the guidance that emerged from it for the continuation of work at technical level will be taken into account.”
In the field of personal data protection, the Minister described the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as a “landmark piece of legislation for the Union and a unique global benchmark,” while underlining the importance of the new regulation on enforcement procedures which has recently entered into force. With regard to the targeted proposal to amend the GDPR as part of the Omnibus package for small and mid-cap enterprises, the Minister assured that this amendment will bring “no deregulation of the substance of the Regulation’s acquis.”
In addition, the Cyprus Presidency “also commits to advancing discussions within the Council on the Digital Omnibus package for the digital sector, which was recently proposed and aims to introduce further changes to EU legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation,” the Minister emphasised.
Fitiris highlighted Cyprus’s role as an “honest broker” at a time of heightened and complex challenges for Europe, expressing his expectation for close cooperation with the European Parliament. “Our goal is to deliver the best possible results for our citizens, the implementation of our principles and values, and the support of the Union’s economic resilience,” he concluded.
(Source: CNA)
