Audit Office reports irregularities in planning derogation permits

The Audit Office of Cyprus, in its special report EE-EY 30/2026 published on October 21, 2026, issued a stern warning regarding the Council for the Study of Derogations (SYMEPA). Auditor General Andreas Papaconstantinou stated that the mechanism for granting planning permits by derogation, intended for exceptional cases, is increasingly being used as a parallel system to bypass development plans. The report covers the period from 2020 to 2023, during which 633 applications were examined, including 259 for individual homes, 139 of which were approved.

Key findings include the retroactive licensing of illegal developments, such as a warehouse in an industrial zone being permitted to operate as a supermarket despite rejection notices in 2012 and 2014. Additionally, the report mentions the controversial approval of 20 houses without prior planning consent on February 8, 2023. This specific case was referred to the Anti-Corruption Authority on June 27, 2024. The Audit Office warns that such practices risk turning exceptions into the rule, undermining urban planning standards and the rule of law.

Following the report's release, SYMEPA President Sotiris Ktoridis stated he agrees with the Audit Office's recommendations and supports modernizing the relevant legislation. However, he disagreed with the claim that exceptions are becoming a rule, arguing that such approvals represent only a small percentage of total applications.