The municipalities of Athienou, Kourion, Pafos, and South Nicosia-Idalion were awarded the European Label of Governance Excellence (ELoGE) at a ceremony held in Larnaca on 16 May 2025. The award was presented by Claudia Luciani, Director of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe; Constantinos Ioannou, Minister of Interior of Cyprus; and Andreas Vyras, President of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities.

The event marked the conclusion of the Council of Europe-supported project “Enhancing the Local Government Reform in Cyprus,” and brought together national and local stakeholders to celebrate progress and share results, particularly in areas such as strategic municipal planning and capacity development of local authorities.

Minister Ioannou praised the contribution of the project to the ongoing reform process, noting the value of the recent peer review on municipal governance and its potential to inform future decisions. Director Luciani reaffirmed the joint commitment of Cypriot partners and the Council of Europe to strengthening local democracy and improving citizens’ quality of life through more effective, accountable, and responsive governance.

The project ‘’Enhancing the Local Government Reform in Cyprus’’ was implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, with the voluntary contribution of the Government of Cyprus.