Cyprus Parliament approves service scheme amendments for Ministry roles

The Cyprus House of Representatives has approved regulations to amend service schemes for two senior positions within the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy. The changes aim to facilitate the filling of a Director position and a Senior Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Officer position under new public service reform frameworks.

The decision passed with 42 votes in favor but faced opposition from the Alma Movement. Odysseas Michailides, leader of the Alma Movement, argued that the roles require engineering qualifications and should necessitate registration with the Technical Chamber of Cyprus (ETEK), citing a 2021 court decision.

In contrast, AKEL representative Andreas Pasiourtides noted that while the Ministry views these as administrative and supervisory roles open to various degrees, a compromise was reached: if engineers apply for these positions, membership in ETEK will be a prerequisite, though it is not a mandatory requirement for all applicants from the outset.