By Martin Banks in Cyprus - 25th June 2010
We are seeking a consensus among the main political forces in parliament not to accept it
Wilfried Martens
Former EU commissioner Markos Kyprianou has condemned a commission regulation which provides for direct trade between the northern part of Cyprus and the EU.
He branded the recently-announced regulation as "unacceptable and legally wrong" and said Cyprus may challenge the decision in the European Court of Justice.
He also said the timing of the commission's action in submitting the regulation to parliament was "unfortunate" because it undermines the current negotiations between the two communities on the divided island of Cyprus.
The regulation is significant because, if approved, it would allow for trade links between the EU and part of the island which Greek Cypriots insist is illegally occupied by Turkey.
Kryprianou said the regulation was in breach of Cyprus' EU accession treaty.
He has raised his concerns with commission president José Manuel Barroso and parliament president Jerzy Buzek.
His comments have been echoed by Wilfried Martens, president of the pan-European EPP who, on a recent visit to Nicosia, the Cypriot capital, said his party opposed the regulation.
He said he was seeking a "consensus among the main political forces" in parliament not to accept it.
He also said implementation of the regulation would be an obstacle to a settlement of the Cyprus problem.
Meanwhile, it has been revealed it will cost Cyprus some €62m to host the EU presidency in the second half of 2012.
Carrying out the presidency duties will involve 3000 extra staff, and an estimated €27m will be spent on events, meetings, security, transport and "preparation of infrastructure".
Human resources will cost €25m, public relations €5.6m and technical equipment a further €4m.
A series of cultural events will be held, including an exhibition of Cypriot antiquities in Paris.
Poland will hold the presidency from July to December 2011 and Denmark from January to June in 2012.
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