Cyprus Parliament approves new service regulations for Ministry of Innovation

On September 24, 2026, the Plenary of the Cyprus Parliament approved new service regulations for two high-level positions at the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy. The regulations, passed with 42 votes in favor, concern the positions of Director (Scale A15(i)) and Senior Officer for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy (Scale A13(ii)). The legislative update aims to facilitate the staffing of these roles within the framework of the ongoing public service reform.

The Alma Movement, led by Odysseas Michaelides, was the sole party to vote against the measure. Michaelides argued that both roles require engineering qualifications and supported the position of the Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber (ETEK), which insists that candidates must be registered with the Chamber. He further cited a 2021 court decision regarding professional requirements and expressed disagreement with the government's stance that the Director position is exclusively administrative and exempt from engineering registration requirements.