Cyprus Business Now: steel industry, state employment, Royal Caribbean Group
The agreement, finalised late on Monday, introduces an updated framework designed to protect the EU steel sector from trade diversion and excess supply, while ensuring compliance with international trade obligations and maintaining flexibility for businesses, including downstream industries.
The new regulation will replace existing safeguard measures set to expire on June 30, 2026, ensuring continuity and avoiding regulatory gaps.
According to the European Commission, the initiative responds to projections that global steel overcapacity will reach 721 million tonnes by 2027, representing more than five times the EU’s annual consumption.
Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Pasyle’s secretary general Marios Antoniou said that “the sector had faced different conditions this year compared with previous Easter periods, although retail had already weathered a series of crises in recent years.”
He added the supply chain had not been disrupted and there had been no shortages in the market.
“Despite all the concern, at least so far, the supply chain was not disrupted. There was an abundance of products in the market, we did not have any shortages,” he stated.
The 140,000-tonne vessel is the second ship from the group to join the Cyprus registry, following the registration of ‘Spectrum of the Seas’ in January 2023.
According to the ministry, the move reflects Royal Caribbean’s continued commitment to Cyprus after its 2023 decision to establish a permanent headquarters in Limassol, which serves as the centre of its shipping activities in the eastern Mediterranean.
The ministry said the latest registration reinforces confidence in the Cyprus flag and further supports the island’s position as a reliable and competitive shipping centre.
The findings, based on research by Solo Female Travelers, show that Cyprus ranks among the top-performing countries as British female tourists drive a surge in European travel spending.
The study found that female tourism spending in Cyprus increased by 25.41 per cent year-on-year, with average expenditure per visit rising from £632 in 2023 to £793 in 2024.
This places Cyprus fifth among European countries in terms of growth in female spending per visit and fourth overall in a composite ranking measuring performance across multiple indicators.
Across the dataset, which covered 27 European destinations using UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, 23 countries had complete year-on-year data, with 19 recording growth in female spending per visit.
This represents an annual rise of 0.1 per cent in the state workforce, while the average total number of state employees for the January-March 2026 period increased by 0.2 per cent compared with the corresponding period of 2025.
Across the main branches of the state, employment in the civil service fell by 0.8 per cent to 23,013 people, down from 23,198 in March 2025.
Staffing in the security forces also declined, falling by 0.7 per cent to 13,734 from 13,832 a year earlier.
The decision complements the European Commission’s implementing regulation, which requires all payment service providers to report data on charges for credit transfers and payment accounts, as well as the share of transactions rejected due to EU sanctions.
It specifically streamlines the second stage of the reporting process, governing the flow of information from national authorities to both the EBA and the European Commission.
By introducing a single reporting channel through the EBA, the decision reduces the administrative burden on national authorities while ensuring that both institutions receive consistent and high-quality data.
The event, titled “How Can Europe Pay for Things it Cannot Afford?”, will take place between 18:00 and 19:30.
It will be held at the Central Bank of Cyprus Auditorium, located at 80 Kennedy Avenue, Nicosia 1076.
The speaker will be Alex Pienkowski, Mission Chief for Cyprus at the International Monetary Fund.
The company said that the application enables merchants to accept card payments directly from smartphones without requiring any additional hardware.
The platform uses NFC technology to transform modern smartphones into fully functional payment terminals.
Through tap-to-pay functionality, businesses can accept contactless payments by entering an amount and allowing customers to tap their card or mobile wallet on the device.
At the same time, the agency pointed out that an initiative by the European Union to boost pay transparency during the hiring process may affect the local job market.
The agency’s hiring report for the second quarter of 2026 found that Cyprus continues to attract the highest number of open roles worldwide, particularly among firms offering CFDs and cryptocurrencies.
The findings highlighted the country’s strong position as a key hub for online trading companies, supported by sustained demand across multiple segments of the industry.
“Cyprus continues to be an important hub for online trading companies, especially for firms offering CFD products and cryptocurrencies,” said Christian Görgen, founder of FYI.