The Union of Cyprus Journalists (ESC) is upset that the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union is making a ‘scandalous downgrade’ to its journalistic identity.
According to the ESC’s announcement, the accreditation process for Cypriot journalists now only accepts an identity from the Press and Information Office (PIO). It does not recognize the ESC’s equally valid and internationally recognized identity. The official documents from the Presidency ignore the ESC identity, even though both identities are valid in Cyprus. The ESC points out that in other public procedures, like subsidy plans or journalist missions, both identities are mentioned equally.
The ESC’s Board of Directors sent letters to Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna, on January 13 and 27, 2026, but they did not get a meaningful response. Instead, the Cypriot Presidency’s Secretariat passed the issue to the Ministry of Interior, referencing the Press Law of 1989, without addressing the main complaint.
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) criticized this practice, stating that the ESC’s journalistic identity is an internationally recognized proof of professional status. EFJ General Secretary Ricardo Gutiérrez noted that Cyprus is the only EU country where the state issues journalistic identities, which goes against European standards.
The ESC urges Cypriot authorities to clearly recognize its journalistic identity in all accreditation processes for the EU Presidency, so no journalist is left out because of their identity.
The Union also reminds that Cyprus has signed the Council of Europe Recommendation on Journalism Protection (2016/4), which states that state authorities must accept journalistic identities and certifications. The ESC expects quick corrective actions, highlighting that the current situation puts Cyprus in a bad light across Europe.
