Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002682/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Michalis Hadjipantela (PPE)
The recent construction of a concrete structure extension on Kourion Beach, located within the UK Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) in Cyprus, has raised significant concerns regarding its impact on the coastal ecosystem, public access to the beach and potential breaches of EU environmental legislation, in particular given the lack of an impact assessment prior to its construction.
Under Protocol No 3 to Cyprus’s EU Accession Treaty and the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, the UK is required to enforce environmental legislation in the SBAs that mirrors that of the Republic of Cyprus, including provisions on habitat protection, biodiversity and public access to coastal areas.
In this context:
- 1.What mechanisms are in place to monitor and ensure that the UK’s SBAs Administration complies with its obligations to mirror EU environmental and coastal protection legislation in the SBAs, particularly regarding environmental impact assessments and public access to beaches?
- 2.How does the Commission support the Republic of Cyprus when environmental law is violated within the SBAs?
- 3.In the light of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, what steps can the Commission take when environmental standards or public access rights in the SBAs are not being upheld?
Submitted: 2.7.2025