EU AID PROGRAMME FOR THE TURKISH CYPRIOT COMMUNITY

Launch of 4^th Rural Development Grant Scheme
"Support for Investment in Agriculture"

The deadline for submission of proposals is 24 December 2018,
12:00 (Brussels time), 13:00 (Cyprus time).

The European Commission has launched a EUR 5 million call for proposals to support agricultural investments in the Turkish Cypriot community.
 
The EU financed Grant Scheme aims to increase the competitiveness of the rural economy in the Turkish Cypriot community by improving crop and animal production, whilst promoting the sustainable use of natural resources.  It will target farmers, irrigation unions and agricultural cooperatives.
 
Selected projects will be supported with EU grants from a minimum amount of EUR 35,000 to maximum amounts of EUR 110,000 for individual farmers and EUR 150,000 for irrigation unions and cooperatives.
 
The Guidelines for Applicants and application package are available at the following link, under the reference 161357:
https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?ADSSChck=1512049568024&do=publi.welcome&userlanguage=en
 

The deadline for submission of proposals is
24 December 2018, 12:00 (Brussels time) 13:00 (Cyprus time).

 
This initiative is funded by the EU under the Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community and implemented by the European Commission.
 
For more information on the "Support for investment in agriculture” Grant Scheme, please contact:   [email protected]

EU Anti-Trafficking Day Panel Discussion held in Nicosia

On the occasion of EU Anti-Trafficking Day, the European Commission held a panel on 18 October at the EU Programme Support Office (EUPSO) in Nicosia.  The aim of this year’s EU Anti-Trafficking Day event was to increase awareness on the rights of human trafficking victims and to highlight best practices in victim support services.

After the opening speeches by Mr. Kjartan Bjornsson and Ms. Evin Unutmaz, the EU policy on the rights of trafficking victims and implementations in EU Member States, the US Department of State 2018 Trafficking in Persons report findings and local implementations, opportunities and recommendations on preventing trafficking of human beings were presented by Mr. Klaus Vanhoutte, Ms. Emine Uzun and Mr. Jacob A. Glenn.

The EU Anti-Trafficking Day was established by the European Commission in 2007 and is marked on 18 October of every year. The main purpose has been to raise awareness on trafficking in human beings and increase the exchange of information, knowledge and best practices amongst the different actors working in this field. EU Anti trafficking Day serves as an occasion to bolster Europe-wide commitment for ending trafficking in human beings, to raise awareness, exchange know-how and best practices, and take stock of what has been achieved.  Trafficking in human beings is a grave human rights violation and it is prohibited by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. 

The European Commission this year launched a EUR 1,000,000 call for proposals in the Turkish Cypriot community aiming to prevent and address trafficking in human beings in the northern part of Cyprus. The main objectives of the Call for Proposals are to prevent human trafficking and raise awareness, to improve victims' access to rights and to increase knowledge of and effective and coordinated response to all forms of trafficking in human beings.

The second EU-financed project for capacity extension, 'Phase II and additional peripheral works', was initiated in January 2018 with an approximate budget of €1.9 million. Work on the waste deposition area (Cell 2) was finalised in September 2018 and is now ready for operation. The completion of Phase II extends the solid waste acceptance capacity for the Turkish Cypriot community until approximately 2030. Current EU investment is continuing at the site, with peripheral works ongoing these due to be completed by December 2018. The peripheral works include leachate management works, landfill gas collection and flaring facility, and temporary covering of the completed landfill Cell 1.

In order for the current facility to provide adequate 'storage' of wastes until the year 2030 for the whole of the Turkish Cypriot community, waste management procedures and most importantly citizens' perceptions will need to develop further. The landfill facility extension currently inaugurated is one component, which is part of what has become to be known as the circular economy policy. Over time, waste prevention and recycling and application of the polluter pays principle must become the norm rather than the exception.

Bridging the Gap Between the Worlds of Vocational Education and Work, VETLAM II Project Completed

Gender Sensitive Reporting Seminar held in Nicosia

After the opening speeches by Ms. Pelin Maneoğlu and Mr. Sami Özuslu, Prof. Alankuş examined the media, the masculinity of the language of the media, the incomplete representation of women, and patriarchal discourses on the female body in her presentation. Prof. Alankuş underlined the need for another language and representation policy for women, with a particular focus on how violence against women is reported in the local media. Prof. Alankuş also covered this topic in her presentation with various examples, providing alternative methods and tools for reporting cases of violence against women in the media. The event aimed to bring together journalists, media specialists, researchers, local stakeholders and communities, NGOs and practitioners in the field to explore and generate a discussion on gender sensitive reporting.

According to the EU-funded research project in the Turkish Cypriot community on this issue which was carried out by non-governmental organisation KAYAD, the statistics in the Turkish Cypriot community are the same as Europe with one in three women experiencing some form of violence throughout their lives.

“United in Diversity” Calendar Design Call Award Ceremony
 

The award ceremony for the European Commission’s "Unity in Diversity" Calendar Design Call which was open to all primary school students, took place on 9 November at the EU Infopoint. The paintings of the 12 students listed below, were selected by a jury in two categories, and will be turned into a 2019 calendar. 

Morphou/Güzelyurt Waste Water Treatment School Visits

The European Commission supported school visits to the EU-funded Güzelyurt/Morphou Waste Water Treatment Plant as part of an awareness raising initiative to inform communities about the importance of treating water and preventing water pollution. The visits, organised in partnership with EU Technical Assistance Project on Capacity Building in the Solid Waste, Wastewater Sector - Phase 2 and the Morphou/Güzelyurt local community took place on 26 October. More than 100 science students from three Morphou/Güzelyurt-Lefka/Lefke high schools were hosted at the visits, including Kurtuluş Lisesi, Güzelyurt TMK and Lefke Gazi Lisesi.
 
The Morphou/Güzelyurt plant was constructed with EU funds. The construction of the plant started in 2010 and the operation started in 2012. The Plant has a treatment capacity of 1,700 m3 per day and 80 percent of the wastewater in the Morphou/Güzelyurt region is processed at this plant.

Traffic Safety Trainings

Cycling Safely Workshop for Elementary School Students

The European Commission, as part of European Mobility Week 2018, marked the importance of getting around safely with a “Cycling Safely Workshop” for Grade 5 primary school students at the Traffic Education Park in Nicosia on 8 November and on 13 November with the participation of Gelibolu Primary School and Necati Taşkın Primary School, in collaboration with the Prevention of Road Traffic Accidents Association (TKÖD). 

The aim of the workshop was to promote safe and alternative modes of transport in a safety controlled environment, where the students had the opportunity to ride the obstacle course and were provided with tips on safe cycling including sudden breaking, assessing traffic situations, blind spots, safety gear and bike maintenance.

As part of the EU Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community, €2.7 million was allocated to improve road safety since 2009. Since the number of accidents and deaths per million km driven in the Turkish Cypriot community is one of the highest in Europe, the programme focused on long-term sustainable impact. It created a coherent structure encompassing all organisations involved in traffic safety, to boost efficiency and effectiveness. In addition, it also provided planning to help local communities address current and future mobility needs, including the elimination of three black spots by remodelling and resignalling hazardous road sections.