Court rejects environmental challenge to Moni-Vasiliko aquaculture project

On June 8, 2026, the Administrative Court of Cyprus rejected a legal challenge filed by the organizations BirdLife Cyprus and Friends of the Earth. The organizations sought the cancellation of a planning permit granted by the Department of Town Planning and Housing for the construction of land and port facilities for an aquaculture project in the Moni-Vasiliko area. The Court accepted a preliminary objection raised by the Attorney General, ruling that the legal challenge was filed after the statutory deadline had expired. Judges noted that the licensing decision was publicly available online and had received widespread media coverage. The court concluded that the organizations failed to exercise due diligence to obtain information in a timely manner despite their expressed interest. This project is part of the Cyprus Recovery and Resilience Plan, funded by the European Union's Recovery and Resilience Facility. Authorities have designated the project as a top priority for the Cypriot fisheries sector. From a legal standpoint, the ruling emphasizes that environmental organizations are still bound by procedural deadlines for legal challenges, notwithstanding their special status under EU law.