Cyprus has told European Union institutions that it is now moving to fix its longstanding waste management problem — an issue that has drawn EU legal scrutiny since 2013.

The European Commission opened infringement proceedings against Cyprus more than a decade ago over the country's failure to comply with EU waste legislation. Despite repeated commitments from Nicosia, the file remains unresolved, making it one of the longest-running environmental compliance disputes between Cyprus and Brussels.

Cypriot authorities say they are addressing the shortcomings. The government points to ongoing efforts to bring national waste treatment and disposal practices into line with EU directives, which set binding targets for recycling, landfill diversion, and the proper handling of municipal waste.

The delay carries practical consequences. Under EU law, member states that fail to meet waste obligations face continued pressure from the Commission, which can escalate infringement proceedings to the Court of Justice of the European Union and seek financial penalties. For practitioners, the Cypriot case illustrates the extended timelines that environmental infringement files can take — and the compliance burden that lingers for member states that fall behind on directives with phased implementation deadlines.

For Cyprus, the stakes extend beyond legal exposure. Poor waste management has environmental and public health implications, and continued non-compliance risks reputational damage as well as potential financial sanctions. The Commission has historically taken a firm line on waste files, treating landfill overuse and low recycling rates as core failures of single-market environmental law.

Nicosia's message now, more than twelve years after the infringement process began, is that corrective infrastructure and policy measures are finally in motion. Whether those measures satisfy Brussels — and how quickly — remains the open question.