In Cyprus, the new coast guard will be transferred to the office of the Deputy Minister of Shipping
The Cypriot government plans to establish a coast guard that will initially operate under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice and will later be transferred to the office of the Deputy Minister of Shipping. Nikos Chrysostomou, a representative of the Justice Ministry, announced this at a meeting of the parliamentary audit committee, Cyprus Mail reports.
According to Chrysostomou, the draft law on establishing the new service is currently being reviewed by the Legal Service. Justice Minister Costas Fytiris instructed officials to examine the possibility of creating a coast guard after duplication of functions and inefficiencies were identified in maritime affairs.
As the ministry representative noted, the government approved the establishment of a legislative committee to make more efficient use of personnel and resources and reduce operating costs.
Powers and location
The Cabinet of Ministers gave its approval in principle to the creation of a coast guard in March. The new structure is intended to consolidate powers currently divided among several state services, operate independently of the police, and perform law enforcement functions at sea.
The plan provides for integrating into the new service the personnel and resources of existing structures, including the marine police. Its tasks will also include protecting maritime platforms and fibre-optic cables in Cyprus' maritime zone.
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The coast guard's headquarters are planned to be located at the Evangelos Florakis naval base in Mari, where infrastructure is to be upgraded for its operations.
Temporary measures and concerns
While the new service is being established, the government is introducing temporary measures. Earlier this month, the Cabinet of Ministers approved changes allowing ships to be prohibited from leaving Cyprus during dangerous weather and requiring vessels at sea to return to a safe port.
These changes were adopted after two vessels sank near Cape Greco. During the incident, 76-year-old Dimis Mavropoulos died after his yacht, Perla Bianca, sank in rough seas.
Audit Committee Chair and Diko MP Zacharias Koulias supported the idea of establishing a coast guard. At the same time, Disy MP Giorgos Pamborides raised a constitutional issue regarding the future transfer of the service to the office of the Deputy Minister of Shipping, stating that it has no law enforcement powers. Nikos Loizides, president of the Isotita police unit trade union, warned that transferring employees to the new structure could increase the burden on the police, which, he said, is short about 637 staff members.
