Parliament Approves Referral on Livestock Farming Areas

The Plenary of the Parliament unanimously approved the referral of the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, regarding the law on the establishment and operation of livestock farming areas. The decision was accompanied by a modification of the original text.

President Christodoulides referred the law due to concerns about unconstitutionality, particularly regarding the provision for a mandatory full compensation and relocation plan in the event of the abolition of a livestock farming area. As pointed out, this particular addition may violate Article 80.2 of the Constitution and the principle of separation of powers, and may be considered state aid requiring approval from the European Commission.

The Chairman of the Agriculture Committee, Giannakis Gabriel, stated that the Committee, taking into account the reasons for the referral, decided to amend the legislative text to provide for a compensation and relocation plan only under specific criteria, which will be determined by the Council of Ministers.