Cyprus

Maritime Spatial Plan(s)

Status: MSP Adopted

The maritime spatial plan was approved by the Council of Ministers on 20 December 2023 and published on the Official Gazette of the Republic on 29 December 2023 (Gazette No. 5844, Supplement III (I), P.I. 427/2023). It consists of text, maps per spatial area and sectoral-thematic maps. The MSPlan takes into account the main priorities, goals and strategic guidelines for the marine waters of the Republic, as defined in the Policy Statement on MSP which was adopted by the Council of Ministers on 21 December 2021.

View all information about the Cypriot Maritime Spatial Plan here

Also, in 2015, the THAL-CHOR I project aimed at developing MSP methodology and its pilot implementation for the preparation of marine spatial plans in selected areas of Cyprus and Greece, through cooperation among the two countries. Those general objectives are pursued in the second project THAL-CHOR II (2018-2023). 

Latest MSP developments

Cyprus’s recent MSP developments concern implementation of its adopted plan and stronger cooperation with Greece. As of today, the main updates are:

• MSP is being applied through licensing. Maritime uses and activities require a Certificate of Compliance or Compatibility with the plan, issued by the MSP Committee before the relevant sectoral licence. This applies to both private entities and government agencies. The Shipping Deputy Ministry’s website lists a register of certificates issued up to 12 May 2026, providing evidence of practical implementation. 
• THAL-CHOR 3 is the principal new cooperation initiative. Its first in-person partners’ meeting took place in Limassol on 24–25 November 2025. Funded through Interreg VI-A Greece–Cyprus, the 24-month project has a budget of approximately €1.83 million and supports innovative methods and digital infrastructure for MSP implementation in both countries. 
  Cooperation advanced during 2026. The project’s second coordination meeting took place in Athens on 14 May 2026, followed by an MSP workshop on 15 May, involving approximately 100 participants from public authorities, research institutions, businesses and civil society. 
• Cumulative-impact assessment is gaining prominence. THAL-CHOR 3’s approach to incorporating cumulative-impact assessment into ecosystem-based MSP is featured in the MSPglobal Data Toolbox. It addresses monitoring, scenario analysis and interactions between maritime activities and sensitive environmental features. This is a methodological progress; it does not establish that these tools have already been fully integrated into Cyprus’s statutory plan.  
• Overall assessment: Cyprus has moved into the operational implementation phase of MSP, with a functioning compatibility-checking procedure and renewed cross-border investment in planning methods and evidence. 

MSP legislation

The EU MSP Directive is transposed into national legislation through the MSP Bill approved by the House of Representatives on 29 September 2017 and published on the Official Gazette of the Republic on 13 October 2017 (Law 114(I) of 2017).

National MSP authority

Cyprus' competent authority for MSP is the Shipping Deputy Ministry

Contact

Shipping Deputy Ministry 
Kyriacos Aliouris
Kyllinis street, Mesa Geitonia,
4007 LIMASSOL, Cyprus
Ph.: +357 25848246
Mail: kaliourisdms.gov.cy (kaliouris[at]dms[dot]gov[dot]cy) 

Nicolas Ioannou
Kyllinis street, Mesa Geitonia,
4007 LIMASSOL, Cyprus
Ph.: +357 25804908
Mail: nioannoudms.gov.cy (nioannou[at]dms[dot]gov[dot]cy) 

For more information

For more information regarding the evolution of the MSP process in Cyprus please see the dedicated country profile below.