THE CYPRUS AGENDA: How Cyprus can shape the EU climate, energy and resilience agenda during its Presidency of the Council of the European Union, January–June 2026

This policy brief outlines how Cyprus can leverage its Presidency of the Council of the European Union from January to June 2026 to advance EU-wide agendas on climate adaptation, water resilience, energy security, and transport decarbonisation, specifically reflecting its profile as an island state in the Eastern Mediterranean.

• Cyprus will assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from January to June 2026 as part of the Denmark–Cyprus–Ireland Presidency Trio. It inherits an agenda of approximately 330 files, half of which are new proposals, and will oversee the launch of the Energy Security Framework, revisions to the Emissions Trading System (ETS), and the implementation of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
• To address climate extremes, Cyprus could establish a Mediterranean Resilience Summit and a Mediterranean Resilience Pact to focus on drought, heatwaves, and coastal vulnerability. The brief also suggests creating an EU Island Climate Resilience Task Force to provide technical assistance and investment guidance to outermost regions and islands.
• Cyprus can elevate water scarcity to a strategic EU priority by convening a Water & Climate Security Forum and proposing an Innovation Hub for Water & Climate. These initiatives would link Horizon Europe, PRIMA, and InvestEU to support pilot projects in semi-arid regions and islands.
• Regarding energy security, the Presidency could promote an EU Island Clean Energy Compact and advance the Black Sea–Mediterranean energy corridor. This includes developing submarine HVDC connections involving Greece, Cyprus, Israel, and Egypt, as well as the Azerbaijan–Georgia–Romania–Bulgaria corridor.
• Cyprus is positioned to lead on transport decarbonisation through an 'Island Mobility 2030' initiative. Specific goals include scaling Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), accelerating clean-fuel uptake in maritime transport (such as ammonia and methanol), and integrating alternative-fuels infrastructure within the TEN-T and AFIR frameworks.
• The document suggests Cyprus strengthen external climate diplomacy by proposing an EU–Mediterranean Action Framework, establishing a Mediterranean Secretariat in Nicosia, and creating an EU–SIDS Compact 2030 to align EU positions with Small Island Developing States (SIDS) priorities ahead of COP31.
• Cyprus can address the social impacts of the energy transition by championing affordability measures related to ETS2, including the expanded use of the Social Climate Fund and the organization of a Housing Summit to tackle energy poverty and building renovation.

APA

Popov, J. (2025). THE CYPRUS AGENDA: How Cyprus can shape the EU climate, energy and resilience agenda during its Presidency of the Council of the European Union, January–June 2026. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/667aed69-1928-42af-b2ce-77393ede6848/PCC PB 4 2025.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Popov, Julian. THE CYPRUS AGENDA: How Cyprus can shape the EU climate, energy and resilience agenda during its Presidency of the Council of the European Union, January–June 2026. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2025. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/667aed69-1928-42af-b2ce-77393ede6848/PCC PB 4 2025.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Popov |first1=Julian |title=THE CYPRUS AGENDA: How Cyprus can shape the EU climate, energy and resilience agenda during its Presidency of the Council of the European Union, January–June 2026 |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2025 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/667aed69-1928-42af-b2ce-77393ede6848/PCC PB 4 2025.pdf?inline=true |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{popov2025cyprus, author = {Popov, Julian}, title = {{THE CYPRUS AGENDA: How Cyprus can shape the EU climate, energy and resilience agenda during its Presidency of the Council of the European Union, January–June 2026}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2025}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/667aed69-1928-42af-b2ce-77393ede6848/PCC PB 4 2025.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }