Kombos: Crossing point access rules will stay the same under Schengen
Cyprus's foreign minister says EU law governing the crossing points will not change if the island joins the border-free zone, as he defended his ministry's budget in parliament.
Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos told the House finance committee on Friday that joining the Schengen area would not alter who is allowed to pass between the island's two sides, as he presented his ministry's spending plans, Cyprus Mail reports.
He explained that the rules for the crossing points come from European Union regulations, and those rules stay in place regardless of Schengen membership. Asked about Tymbou (Ercan) airport, which along with the crossing points has raised doubts in Europe about Cyprus's bid, he described the matter as a "complex issue".
"Anyone who is entitled to pass through the free areas will continue to be entitled to do so even after we join the Schengen zone," Kombos said.
What it means for residents
For now, nothing changes at the nine crossing points: the practical effect of Friday's statement is reassurance rather than a new rule, since the decision on Schengen entry still sits with the Council of the EU and was left off the justice and home affairs agenda this month.
- Daily crossings: people who rely on the checkpoints to work, shop or visit family should keep their usual documents to hand, as the existing EU framework remains in force.
- Watch the December meeting: the JHA council next convenes in Brussels in December, so any shift in the timetable would show up there rather than in local announcements.
- Third-country nationals: the unresolved question of how the digital entry/exit system would apply at the checkpoints and at Tymbou (Ercan) is the part most likely to affect non-EU passport holders in future.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
