Eleftheria Paizanou
Goods worth € 6.1 million were traded in 2021 from the occupied free zones, through the Green Line regulation, according to data provided by the Ministry of Finance in Parliament. In fact, in relation to 2020, there was an increase of 31%.
In a reply letter to the MP of Ecologists Alexandra Attalidou, the Minister of Finance Konstantinos Petridis points out that the controls are carried out at the roadblocks by the officials of the Customs Department, emphasizing that if any items are found that are trafficked illegally, then if they are issues The department immediately handles them and proceeds with their detention or seizure and the full investigation of the case. As he points out, if they concern the competence of other departments, he informs them accordingly about their own actions.
Pursuant to Article 4 of the Regulation, goods may enter the free zones, provided that they are wholly obtained in the occupied territories of the Republic of Cyprus or that they have undergone the last substantial, economically justified processing or processing in a company equipped for that purpose. in the occupied territories. In any commercial movement of goods from the occupied in the free areas of the Republic (eg plant goods, construction materials, etc.), the competent authorities, such as the Department of Agriculture, the Veterinary Services, the Ministry of Interior, etc., give the their final approval to allow the movement of goods in the free areas of the Republic of Cyprus.
According to the minister, the officials of the Customs Department check at the crossing points if the correct documents have been submitted and if the conditions of the Regulations for the Green Line are met. As the Minister clarifies, according to article 6 of the Regulation, products that are contained in the personal luggage of the persons crossing the line are allowed to enter the free areas, provided that they are not of a commercial nature and that their total value does not exceed € 260 per person. It should be noted that the confiscated products are destroyed in accordance with the existing Interdepartmental Instructions, in the presence of three officials of the Customs Department or officials of other co-competent ministries, if the goods to be destroyed concern them. For all the disasters carried out by the Customs Department, relevant destruction certificates are issued and a detailed electronic register is kept.
