Cyprus’ organised farming sector is joining a coordinated pan-European mobilisation on Thursday, aligning with agricultural protests taking place across the EU. Farmers will take to the streets with tractors and other vehicles, delivering messages both to the Cypriot authorities and to Europe’s leadership, as concerns grow over the future of the primary sector and the direction of EU agricultural policy beyond 2027.
March to the Presidential Palace and House of Europe
According to organisers, farmers will begin mobilising from 10.15am, travelling towards the Presidential Palace in Nicosia to deliver a formal resolution. The protest will then continue to the House of Europe, where a letter will be handed to the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Parliament.
United agricultural front across Cyprus
In a joint statement, the agricultural organisations PEK, EKA, Panagrotikos, Nea Agrotiki Kinisi and Evroagrotikos said the organised agricultural movement of Cyprus is acting in unity, responding to decisions taken by their European counterparts in Brussels under the COPA-COGECA umbrella, which represents farmers’ organisations and cooperatives across EU member states.
They confirmed that while the central mobilisation will take place in Brussels, more distant member states such as Cyprus will stage actions locally on Thursday, 18 December 2025.
Pressure on the primary sector
The organisations cite unprecedented pressure on the primary sector as the core reason for the protest. They point to growing dependence on imports, proposals to change the architecture of the Common Agricultural Policy after 2027 with a reduced budget, excessive bureaucracy, and the escalating impacts of the climate crisis. Together, they warn, these factors are pushing Cypriot agriculture towards inevitable decline.
Government response and CAP priorities
Speaking to CNA on Wednesday, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Maria Panayiotou said that shaping and delivering a strong, fair and effective Common Agricultural Policy is a key priority of Cyprus’ EU Council Presidency. She stressed that the aim is a CAP that reflects farmers’ real needs while achieving a meaningful reduction in administrative burden.
Farmers reject Commission proposals
From the farmers’ side, PEK President Christos Papapetrou described the European Commission’s proposals as unacceptable. He told CNA that both Cypriot and European agricultural organisations believe the proposals dismantle the foundations of the Common Agricultural Policy, the EU’s oldest common policy.
Local actions and traffic arrangements
In Paphos, farmers will gather their tractors at 10.00am on the road at Timi, near the airport exit, where they will remain stationed.
Police announced that protesters from all districts will assemble at the parking areas of the GSP Stadium and the Jumbo store in Nicosia. At around 10.30am, they will proceed towards the Presidential Palace to deliver their resolution, before continuing to the House of Europe on Lord Byron Avenue.