What is happening
On 17 July 2026, Cyprus sent the Commission a reasoned request to change the Council decision that approved the assessment of its plan in 2021. Cyprus said objective circumstances meant part of the plan was no longer achievable and submitted an amended version. On 30 July, the Commission proposed that the Council approve its assessment of that amended plan and change the 2021 decision.21
The request covers exactly eight measures in two distinct categories. Cyprus says one—the Supporting Fast-Track Business Activation Mechanism—is partially no longer achievable because demand is lacking. Cyprus says the other seven use better alternatives that would simplify the Council decision, require less administrative work and still achieve their objectives. Those seven include the National Centre for Clinical Evidence and Quality Improvement and the digital transformation of courts.2
Why it matters
The Commission says it assessed the amended plan under the applicable EU criteria and considers that the changes leave its positive assessment unaffected for relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and coherence. The proposal describes the plan in terms of the reforms and investment projects needed for implementation, their milestones, targets and indicators, and the EU amount available.2
The Commission proposal gives the amended plan’s estimated total cost as €1,022,123,510. Because that exceeds the €1,020,223,681 cap on EU funding available for the plan, the allocated financial contribution would equal that cap. The proposal says the contribution available to Cyprus remains unchanged.2
What happens next
In its 30 July proposal, the Commission asks the Council to approve the assessment of the amended plan and amend the 2021 decision. The draft would make the change by replacing the decision’s AnnexAn attached section of the Council decision. The proposal would replace the Annex to the 2021 decision in full.—its attached section—in full with the text accompanying the proposed decision. The draft decision would be addressed to the Republic of Cyprus.21