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- Legal Expert at the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) 

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Ombudsman inquiry on Commission President’s text messages is a wake-up call for EU

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The European Ombudsman inquiry into the Commission’s handling of a request for text messages between its President and the CEO of a pharmaceutical company is a wake-up call for all EU institutions about ensuring accountability in an era of instant messaging. One year after the initial request by a journalist, the Commission has still not clarified whether messages reported to concern major vaccine procurement deals exist and whether the public is entitled to see them. The Ombudsman had asked the Commission, in a finding of maladministration in January, to conduct a more thorough search for the text messages. The Commission’s recent response failed to say whether it had looked directly and correctly for the text messages and if not, why not. While the response recognised that work-related text messages can be EU documents, it reiterated that the Commission’s internal policy is, in effect, not to register text messages. The Ombudsman has closed  the inquiry  and upheld...
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Status of long-term resident in Cyprus: Appeal against the rejection decision

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By Giorgos Kazoleas, Lawyer in Cyprus Third-country nationals residing in areas controlled by the Government of the Republic legally and continuously for the last five years prior to the submission of the application and holding a valid residence permit in the Republic can apply along with the required original documents in order to obtain the status of long-term resident in Cyprus. It often happens that the Administration (in this case the Immigration Department) does not properly assess the facts and circumstances of the applicant and does not properly check the requirement for obtaining the status, resulting in a rejection decision. This decision is notified to the applicant and must contain clear justification for the reasons for the rejection of the application. It must also state that the applicant has the right to appeal against the rejection decision within 75 days from the notification of the decision. According to the Aliens and Immigration Law, [1]   in order to...
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The “Green Maze”: Environmental Obligations for Cement Companies in Greece and Cyprus

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Written by Efi Thoma * The cement industry plays a crucial role in the infrastructure development of both Greece and Cyprus. However, this essential sector also carries a significant environmental footprint. From quarrying raw materials to the energy-intensive production process, cement companies face increasing scrutiny and stringent legal obligations aimed at mitigating their impact on the environment. This article delves into the key environmental issues and the pertinent legal frameworks in Greece and Cyprus that cement manufacturers must navigate. Both Greece and Cyprus, as members of the European Union, are bound by a substantial body of EU environmental law. This includes cornerstone directives such as the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive, the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED), the Waste Framework Directive, and legislation addressing climate change and biodiversity. These EU regulations are transposed into national law in both countries, forming the bedrock ...
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The first international convention on protecting lawyers adopted by the Council of Europe

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The Council of Europe has adopted the first-ever international treaty aiming to protect the profession of lawyer. This is to respond to increasing reports of attacks on the practice of the profession, whether in the form of harassment, threats or attacks, or interference with the exercise of professional duties (for example, obstacles to access to clients). Lawyers play a key role in upholding the rule of law and securing access to justice for all, including to vindicate possible human rights violations. Therefore, public confidence in justice systems also depends on the role played by lawyers. The  Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer  covers lawyers and their professional associations, whose role is vital in defending lawyers’ rights and interests as a profession. The Convention addresses entitlement to practise, professional rights, freedom of expression, professional discipline and specific protective measures for lawyer...
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GDPR and transgender identity: the rectification of data relating to gender identity cannot be made conditional upon proof of surgery (CJEU)

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In its Judgment in Case C-247/23 |[Deldits] [1] the European Court of Justice ruled that the rectification of data relating to gender identity cannot be made conditional upon proof of surgery. In 2014, VP, an Iranian national, obtained refugee status in Hungary by relying on their transgender identity and producing medical certificates drawn up by specialists in psychiatry and gynaecology.  According to those certificates, although that person was born female, their gender identity was male. Following the recognition of their refugee status on that basis, that person was nevertheless registered as female in the asylum register, which is kept by the Hungarian asylum authority and contains identification data, including gender, of the persons who have obtained that status in Hungary.  In 2022, on the basis of the abovementioned medical certificates, VP requested, inter alia, that the asylum authority rectify the entry in respect of their gender in that register, on the basis of ...
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