Useful Information

Ø      Cyprus District Administration

Ø      Cyprus Local Authorities

Ø      Cyprus Town Planning and Housing

Ø      Cyprus Lands and Surveys

Cyprus District Administration
     Cyprus is divided into six administrative districts. These are: Nicosia, Limassol, Pafos, Larnaka (in the government-controlled areas) and Famagusta and Keryneia (in the occupied areas). Each district is headed by a District Officer who is essentially the local representative or extended arm of the government. The District Officer acts as the chief-coordinator of the activities of all Ministries in the District. District Officers are answerable to the Ministry of the Interior, which is headed by a Permanent Secretary as chief administrator.

Cyprus Local Authorities
     There are two types of local authorities, Municipalities and Communities, which are governed by separate laws. In principle, Municipalities constitute the form of local government in urban and tourist centers while communities constitute the local structure in rural areas.

     Municipalities - Any community may become a municipality by local referendum, subject to the approval of the Council of Ministers, provided it has either a population of more than 5.000, or has the economic resources to function as a municipality.

     Since the Turkish invasion of 1974 and the subsequent occupation of the northern part of Cyprus by Turkey, nine municipalities, although still maintaining their legal status, have been temporarily relocated to the free areas.

     Mayors are elected directly by the citizens on a separate ballot, for a term of five years and are the executive authority of the municipalities. The Mayor represents the municipality in a court of Law and before any state authority, and presides over all Council meetings, Administrative Committee meetings and any other municipal committee. He executes the Council’s decisions and heads all municipal services which he directs and supervises.

     Municipal councils, which are the policy-making bodies of the municipalities, are elected directly by the citizens for a term of five years, but separately from the Mayor. The Council appoints the members of the Administrative Committee. The latter’s duties include the preparation of the municipality’s budgets and annual financial statements, the provision of assistance and advice to the Mayor in the execution of his duties, coordination of the work of other committees appointed by the Council and the carrying out of any other duties entrusted to it by the Council or the Mayor. The Council may also set up ad-hoc or standing committees which have an advisory role.

     According to the Law, the main responsibilities of municipalities are the construction, maintenance and lighting of streets, the collection, disposal and treatment of waste, the protection and improvement of the environment and the good appearance of the municipal areas, the construction, development and maintenance of municipal gardens and parks and the protection of public health. The Municipal Council has the authority to promote, depending on its finances, a vast range of activities and events including the arts, education, sport and social services. In addition to the Municipalities Law, there are several laws giving municipalities important powers other than those already mentioned. Such laws are the Streets and Buildings Regulation Law, the Town Planning Law, the Civil Marriages Law and the Sewerage Systems Law.

     The main sources of revenue of municipalities are municipal taxes, fees and duties (professional tax, immovable property tax, hotel accommodation tax, fees for issuing permits and licenses, fees for refuse collection, fines, etc.), as well as state subsidies. Taxes, duties and fees represent the major source of revenue while state grants and subsidies amount to only a small percentage of the income. The central government, however, usually finances major infrastructure projects undertaken by the municipalities, but this is dependent very much on each individual project. The yearly budgets of the municipalities are submitted to the Council of Ministers for approval and their accounts are audited annually by the Auditor General of the Republic. Municipal loans also need to be approved by the Council of Ministers.

     Union of Cyprus Municipalities - The Union of Cyprus Municipalities was established in 1981. Even though membership is voluntary, at present all municipalities (33), accounting for 65 per cent of the population of Cyprus, are represented. The Union’s main functions are to contribute to the development of local government autonomy, as well as to act as spokesman of local government interests vis-à-vis the central government and other national institutions. It also takes an active stand in the evolving relations of Cyprus with the European Union.

     The Union’s decision-making power is vested in the General Assembly. The Executive Committee implements decisions taken by the General Assembly. The President of the Union represents the Union before any authority, while the Secretary is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Union. The Union is a member of the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA) and its European section, the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR). It is also represented in the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE)
 

Cyprus Town Planning and Housing

     Department of Town Planning and Housing - The Department of Town Planning and Housing is a government department under the Ministry of Interior. Its main scope of operation concerns urban and spatial planning. The Department is made up of three major Sections, those of Housing, Planning and Development Control. The Housing Section undertakes the planning, design and management of public housing, at present almost exclusively serving refugees displaced by the 1974 Turkish invasion.

     The Development Control Section functions as the higher central Planning Authority of the country; it includes the Sectors of Plan Implementation and Planning Enforcement, and provides the administrative umbrella for five of the nation's nine independent Local Planning Authorities (District Offices). The Planning Section consists of various policy and project-oriented Sectors, such as those of Regional and Transportation Planning. The Department also includes the Sectors of Preservation and Planning Schemes, as well as supporting administration, while it provides personnel and advice to the Nicosia Master Plan, a bi-communal institution involving both the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities of the divided capital.

     The Planning System in Cyprus - A three-tier hierarchy of development plans is based on the concepts of the “Island Plan,” which refers to the national territory and the regional distribution of resources and development opportunities, the “Local Plan,” which refers to major urban areas or areas undergoing intensive development pressures and rapid changes, and the “Area Scheme,” at the lower end of the hierarchy. Area Schemes refer to areas of a smaller scale and are more detailed and specifically project oriented, gradually becoming indispensable tools for addressing sustainability issues and enabling the implementation of planning policy. A set of regulations based on the Streets and Buildings Law, controlling setbacks, access, drainage etc., as well as uniform standards of construction, including earthquake and fire safety requirements, are commonly applied to all new development. Furthermore, in areas within Local Plans published under the Town and Country Planning Law, locally specific sets of provisions and guidelines govern a series of factors, including building height, volume and density, the subdivision of land, provision of public amenities, parking requirements, interventions in sensitive historic areas etc.

     Key Territorial Issues - Roughly beginning in the 1960s, the suburbanization of the main towns of Cyprus was based, to a great extent, on rural out-migration, while it was accelerated by the resettlement of refugees from areas occupied by the Turkish army in 1974. Whereas new suburban growth still continues in conurbation fringes and around tourist resorts, it is accompanied by a parallel trend in the growth of smaller towns and villages within easy commuting distance from the main urban centers. On the contrary, more remote villages in mountain regions continue to lose population, preferred only as locations for country homes.

     Within this overall situation, two key problem areas have been identified:

• Urban areas in decline. The problems besetting urban areas are complex and varied. The expansion of cities has been followed, as elsewhere, by the deterioration and disintegration of historic urban cores due to the exodus of populations and businesses towards areas with a more competitive edge because of better accessibility and availability of infrastructure. This gradual abandonment has in turn led to a fall in the quality of the urban environment, accompanied by a more general deterioration of economic and social conditions. To address these problems, the Department of Town Planning and Housing plays a leading role in the promotion of their socio-economic regeneration through the improvement of the built environment and cultural infrastructure, based on a broader set of measures for Integrated Urban Regeneration taken in cooperation with central government agencies and Local Authorities. Actions envisaged include the rehabilitation of buildings and street elevations, the development of pedestrian and bicycle trails and green spaces, and the creation of cultural centers as well as care centers for the elderly and children.
   
• Disadvantaged mountain areas. The mountain villages of Cyprus have, to a greater or lesser extend, been isolated in the past. Although recent improvements in transport and telecommunications have undoubtedly improved the overall situation, these areas continue to lose population, in spite of their clear advantages in terms of climate, environment and community, while they still lag behind urban areas in terms of employment opportunities and quality of life. In cooperation with other central Government agencies and in partnership with civil society and the private sector, the Department of Town Planning and Housing will be implementing a series of measures and actions to facilitate the development of thriving local communities, promote the sustainable development of rural areas and the diversification of their economy. Objectives include the development of special interest products and activities, such as traditional crafts and rural tourism, to exploit the assets of each particular area within the framework of sustainability and improved quality of life.
   
• Other territorial challenges identified include those associated with urban dispersal as opposed to agricultural restructuring and nature protection, especially in the countryside, where new development continually encroaches on prime agricultural land and areas rich in natural resources. Pressures on land development for holiday homes further complicate this situation where, due to the pleasant landscape and sunny climate of Cyprus, there is already a high demand for the acquisition of holiday homes by overseas owners, notably pensioners from northern countries. With EU accession and the opening up of the real estate market this trend is expected to accelerate, with negative effects on housing affordability for the bulk of the local population. The Department has recognized the need to address these issues and is currently working on relevant policy formulation.

Cyprus Lands and Surveys

     Department of Lands and Surveys - The Department of Lands and Surveys of the Ministry of Interior is the oldest and one of the largest departments of the Republic of Cyprus. Its role and responsibility have been of immense importance, particularly in operating the Cyprus Land Registration systems. It has been managing the major land matters of Cyprus regarding surveying – including maintenance of the state survey infrastructure–, mapping, investigation into title, registration, conveyance, valuations, conservation and management of State Lands, compulsory acquisition/requisitions and encumbrances.

     It administers statutes providing services for the property rights of individuals effectively and efficiently within a unified coordinated structure, with distinct branches in Tenure, Registration, Valuation, Management of State Lands, Survey, Cartography and Administration. It is also the Official Service for the compilation, production and issue of maps and plans for which the state copyright is reserved. The Registration Services for immovable property are simple, quick and effective and ensure completion of declarations on the same day.

     The Land Registration System and Cadastre operating in Cyprus today were introduced almost a century ago. The Land Registration System is the Registration of Title system, which is based on a series of cadastral plans of varying scale and accuracy, most of them being graphical.

     Although the system has all the advantages of the Registration of Title system, it has been found deficient to the highly demanding requirements of the rapid development of the country. Hence, the need was felt for the creation of a system, which will allow each parcel to be marked on the ground rapidly, efficiently and without ambiguity. The system proposed by foreign consultants can be described as a Fixed Boundary Coordinated Cadastre, as the coordinates are given a strong emphasis in the cadastral definition, and they will subsequently be used for future boundary demarcation. This constitutes the main objective of the Resurvey Project currently planned and executed by the Department.

     The Land Information System of Cyprus - The Department of Lands and Surveys has already implemented an integrated Land Information System (LIS) to serve the needs of the Department and the needs of other organizations and departments, which use land related data.

     The Cyprus LIS project is an umbrella programme covering basically four groups of activities:

     a. The systematic cadastral resurvey of the country
     b. The computerization of land records and cadastral plans
     c. Development of a number of computerized systems to support and automate the activities of     the Department of Lands and Surveys
     d. The establishment, in the long term, of a national LIS The LIS was officially accepted in 1999   and it is currently used in a production environment.

     At the same time many projects have been initiated for collecting and preparing the data that populate the LIS databases.

     National Land Information System - The Department of Land and Surveys operates partially on a manual and partially on a computerized basis a graphical multipurpose cadastre. The Department records a considerable amount of land related data. Cadastral plans are widely used as a fundamental graphic record by a wide range of agencies. Information about development, utilities, land use, water resources, geology, and even statistical data for population, industry, agriculture and planning, are recorded on, or closely related to the cadastral plans.

     The Government of Cyprus, through the Department of Lands and Surveys, implemented a system to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Departmental activities taking advantage of available information technology and modern cost effective survey instrumentation and techniques. The general strategic objective of the country is the establishment of fixed boundary coordinated cadastral system after a systematic resurvey the computerization of the land records, cadastral plans, and topographical maps, the development of a number of computerized systems to support the survey, registration, valuation and management functions of the Department and the staged development and implementation of a National Land Information System (LIS), where all agencies with land related activities can share available data for the benefit of the economy of the country.

     International Activities - The Department of Lands of Surveys is an active member of the:

• IHO – International Hydrographic Organization
• MBSHC – Mediterranean and Black Seas Hydrographic Commission
• EuroGeographics –Association of the European National Mapping Agencies
• EuroSDR – European Spatial Data Research

• EuroGeographics –Association of the European National Mapping Agencies
• EuroSDR – European Spatial Data Research