Commission's Green Line report for 2023 records Republic of Cyprus application forms provided in Turkish

The European Commission's twentieth annual report on the implementation of the Green Line Regulation (COM(2024) 265 final, 4 July 2024), covering 2023, records that the Republic of Cyprus has put arrangements in place to facilitate Turkish Cypriots obtaining roadworthiness certificates, authorisations and professional driving licences, granted free of charge on application forms translated into Turkish — a documented instance of Turkish-language service provision by the Republic.¹

The same report records matters it describes as unresolved: Turkish Cypriot commercial vehicles over 7.5 tonnes may cross into the government-controlled areas only if they carry fully acquis-compliant documents issued by the Republic of Cyprus — a matter the report records as yet to be solved — and Turkish Cypriot buses carrying EU citizens were not permitted to cross without such documents.¹

On banking, the report records that individual Turkish Cypriots continued to report difficulties when trying to open accounts with commercial banks, that Turkish Cypriot businesses were unable to open bank accounts in the government-controlled areas, and that the inability to transfer funds between banks in the government-controlled areas and banks in the north continued to hamper Green Line trade. The Commission's own assessment is that removing the obstacles mentioned in the report would help to increase trade across the Green Line.¹