Cypriot member of the European Parliament Giorgos Georgiou, of Akel, likened the European Union to Pontius Pilate, as the Strasbourg plenary session discussed preparations for next month’s Cop31 climate summit, which will be held in the Turkish Mediterranean city of Antalya.

“The climate crisis is here. Wildfires, heatwaves, drought, catastrophic floods, a state of constant emergency. It is the European peoples, of course, who pay the price,” he said, before adding that The Left, the European grouping to which he belongs, is “demanding the obvious” from the Cop31 summit.

He said that what must be achieved is “action, not new promises”, as “we have already been burned and drowned by promises”.

“The battle against the climate crisis is, of course, not merely an environmental one. It is a struggle for social justice and equality, free from exclusion, yet, regrettably, Turkey has sought to obstruct the participation of the Republic of Cyprus and to weaponise the conference,” he said.

In this, he said that Turkey is “aiming to politically promote the illegal secessionist entity in the occupied territories” through its hosting of Cop31, and that this alleged aim is “consistent with the illegal Turkish-Libyan memorandum”, the maritime jurisdiction deal which was ratified by the Libyan parliament on Tuesday.

“As for you, shall I say it? I shall. You are acting like Pontius Pilates regarding Turkey, and perhaps even regarding the climate,” he said.

Pontius Pilate was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judea and is best known in the contemporary era for being the official who presided over the trial of Jesus and ordered his crucifixion. His name has become a metaphor for refusing personal accountability for a harmful decision and moral cowardice.

Climate change ‘even more pronounced in Europe’

Diko’s Costas Mavrides also spoke during the Cop31 debate and stressed that “climate change is, in fact, not an ideology”, and that it is “even more pronounced in Europe, and particularly in the Mediterranean”.

He stressed that “such global problems … require global approaches and international cooperation”, and on this front stressed the need for “concrete, measurable targets aimed at closing the gap between stated objectives and their practical implementation”.

In addition, he, too criticised Turkey for what he decried as “weaponising” the summit, saying that this has come “once again to the detriment of the Republic of Cyprus”, and that the Turkish government has “attempted to block the president of Cyprus’ participation”.

As such, he called on the European Union’s institutions to “stand firmly in defence of this member state of the European Union and the United Nations”.

Christodoulides, Erhurman to attend summit in Antalya

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides had announced last week that he will “of course” attend the summit, adding that, “I am pleased that, thanks to the decisive contribution of our partners, and following our diplomatic and political efforts conducted away from the public eye, we have achieved a result”.

His participation had initially been in doubt as the Republic of Turkey does not recognise him as a head of state.

Asked whether he may also be expecting “unpleasant surprises” during the summit, he said that “we are preparing for any eventuality, and I must tell you that we do not rule one out”.

“At the same time, there will also be reactions from the Republic of Cyprus’ side, a member state of the European Union, of the EU which has 27 member states,” he said.

Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman, too, said he will attend the summit, saying that “we received an invitation from the president of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan” and that “we will be in Antalya”.

He added that he has “learned from the press” that President Nikos Christodoulides “has also announced that he will be there, as is customary”.

“As we always say, diplomacy and dialogue are always beneficial,” he said.

Turkey has been designated as a co-host for the summit, alongside Australia, with Turkish Environment Minister Murat Kurum designated as the chairman of Cop31 and Australian Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen set to preside over negotiations between political leaders at the Antalya summit.

While Turkey does not recognise Christodoulides as a head of state, a host country does not have the right to unilaterally exclude any United Nations member state from the negotiations which take place during the 12-day summit.

All 27 EU member states have backed a joint statement rejecting the Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum, which the EU said on Wednesday, “violates the sovereign rights of third States” and “does not comply with the Law of the Sea”.

The statement, issued by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, said the 2019 memorandum is “null and void and cannot produce legal consequences for third States”.

The EU said it “deeply regrets” its ratification by the Libyan parliament on 20 October.

The bloc said its position was “firm and clear” and had been set out in European Council conclusions in December 2019 and repeated in June 2025.

It said it has a strategic interest in a stable and secure Eastern Mediterranean and called on all countries to respect the sovereign rights of every member state, in line with EU law and international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Kallas added that good neighbourly relations and progress on the Cyprus settlement process were of high importance.

European Council president Antonio Costa and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen offered “solidarity” to Greece and Cyprus.

They said the agreement “does not comply with the law of the sea” and reiterated the EU’s “well-known position against any outside interference in Libya”.

The Libyan parliament voted unanimously on Tuesday to adopt the agreement.

It states that the exclusive economic zones of Libya and Turkey share a border in the Mediterranean, located south-east of the Greek island of Crete.

Turkey signed the deal in 2019 with the Libyan government of national accord, but it had not been ratified by Libya’s legislature until now.

The government of national unity replaced that administration in 2021 and is the only internationally recognised government of Libya.

Turkey’s MIT intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin was in Libya on Tuesday to meet Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah.

The Cypriot foreign ministry called the memorandum “illegal, null and void”, while Athens said, “geography and the international law of the sea do not change with unilateral, legally unfounded parliamentary decisions”.

Both countries are signatories to the UN convention on the law of the sea, though Turkey is not, and Libya signed it in 1984 but never ratified it.

Cypriot members of the European Parliament on Tuesday evening stressed the importance of building up the Mediterranean region’s energy sector as the Strasbourg plenary session discussed the parliament’s latest motion regarding the European Union’s pact for the Mediterranean.

The resolution, which will be voted upon on Wednesday, sets out the European Parliament’s position on the pact and relations between the EU and the Mediterranean region, and Diko’s Costas Mavrides was keen to stress that the EU “has the potential” to “lead the entire Mediterranean toward stability and prosperity” through its energy sector.

“The common rules for the Mediterranean are, naturally, those of international law, specifically including UN conventions regarding the law of the sea. Institutions and infrastructure already exist … such as the EastMed gas forum, the European project of common interest the Great Sea Interconnector, and the EastMed gas pipeline,” he said.

On this front, he said that the Republic of Cyprus has “consistently been playing a leading role”, but that “the neo-Ottoman regime in Turkey remains the transgressor and the expansionist”.

As such, he sarcastically asked European foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who was present for proceedings, whether she is “rewarding this transgressor and expansionist”, or whether she is “bestowing gifts upon it”.

Geadi highlights resolution’s GSI amendment

Elam’s Geadis Geadi, meanwhile, called for a new pact which “must serve as an essential tool for cooperation, focusing on energy security, electrical interconnections, addressing illegal migration and human smuggling, and combating terrorism and hybrid threats”.

“However, cooperation in the Mediterranean must be grounded in international law, rather than in unilateral claims or provocations,” he said.

At this point, he offered his thanks to “colleagues from across the political spectrum” who supported an amendment to the motion which, he said, “underscores the importance of European projects of common interest, such as the Great Sea Interconnector and the EastMed pipeline”.

He added that the amendment also “simultaneously condemned Turkish provocations which hinder their implementation”.

Then, he, too, offered a shot at Kallas, saying that “the Mediterranean cannot be allowed to fall victim to Turkish blackmail directed against European interests, and Ms Kallas, it is your responsibility to move from words to action”.

Two amendments on Cyprus to be tabled on Wednesday

The amendment to which he was referring is his own, which was co-signed by fellow Cypriot MEP Fidias Panayiotou, as well as high-profile right-wing Greek MEP Afroditi Latinopoulou, among others.

It states that the parliament “underlines the importance of EU projects of common interest, including the Great Sea Interconnector and the EastMed pipeline, for the EU’s energy security and autonomy and the diversification of its energy supplies”.

Additionally, it states that it “condemns Turkey’s interference in energy infrastructure projects in the eastern Mediterranean and calls for these projects to be able to proceed without obstruction”.

The amendment was one of two to be tabled which mention Cyprus, with Latinopoulou having tabled her own amendment, which was co-signed by Geadi.

It states that “Turkey’s ongoing provocations against Greece and Cyprus, including repeated violations of their sovereign rights in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean, its continued threat of a casus belli against Greece, the so-called Blue Homeland doctrine, and the continued occupation of part of the territory of an EU member state, fundamentally undermine regional stability and any credible Euro-Mediterranean cooperation”.

Georgiou calls for ‘different approach’ to Mediterranean

Akel’s Giorgos Georgiou, meanwhile, took a different angle in Tuesday’s debate, saying that “the Mediterranean is a region of immense potential, yet one marked by profound contradictions, wars, inequalities, the plight of refugees, and environmental threats”.

“A pact for the Mediterranean could represent a genuine opportunity for peace, cooperation, and shared prosperity, but not if it is treated merely as a tool to expand the European Union’s geopolitical influence, nor if security, militarisation, and the control of migration are prioritised over the needs of people,” he said.

He said that the European Parliament’s “The Left” grouping, on whose behalf he was speaking, has “advocated for a different approach … one centred on people, social justice, labour rights, and environmental approach”.

This approach, he said, “ensures the meaningful participation of societies, is backed by adequate funding, and respects both state sovereignty and international law”, before he pivoted to the matter of international politics.

“We cannot invoke international law while simultaneously accepting that it be selectively applied, as is the case regarding Cyprus and Palestine. The Mediterranean does not need new geopolitical rivalries, it needs solidarity, cooperation, dialogue, and peace. This is the Mediterranean we must strive to build,” he said.

Cypriot member of the European Parliament Michalis Hadjipantela on Tuesday presented the parliament’s budget committee (Budg)’s plans for the European Union’s general budget for next year, which reverses all the cuts which had been made to it by the Council of the EU when it agreed its own position in July.

The budget foresees that the EU will make €194 billion worth of commitments and €203.3bn worth of actual payments over the course of the year, with the committee’s position therefore including more spending not only than the Council’s , but also than the European Commission’s position.

This is because the committee had voted to approve €1.17bn of extra spending next year compared to the commission’s position, including €260.5 million for the Connecting Europe facility, the EU’s funding instrument for infrastructure investment, and the instrument through which the EU offered grants for the Great Sea Interconnector.

Other increases include an extra €85m for the European agriculture guarantee fund, through which the EU pays farmers directly, and a €20m increase for support for young farmers.

Additionally, increases in funding amounting to €140m have been granted for the EU’s neighbourhood policy, through which the EU offers funding and partnerships for countries in eastern Europe and north Africa.

Hadjipantela, who belongs to Disy, said of his plans that “at a time when the European Union faces growing security challenges, we must ensure that our institutions possess he necessary means to carry out their mission effectively and independently”.

‘European taxpayers expect us to manage public funds responsibly’

“Let me be clear: budgetary discipline is non-negotiable. European taxpayers expect us to manage public funds responsibly and to remain efficient, while avoiding unnecessary expenditure,” he said.

On this front, he said that “all institutions must identify opportunities for savings and improve the way they operate”, and that the European Parliament itself “is called upon to continue improving how it manages and spends its budget”.

However, he stressed, “efficiency cannot simply mean making cuts without regard for the responsibilities which our institutions are required to fulfil”.

“We must avoid a situation where cuts create operational problems or, worse still, lead to higher costs in the future. The goal is to strike the right balance,” he said.

He stressed that the Budg committee’s position “has focused on specific, well-substantiated operational needs”, and stressed that “we have advocated for retaining essential resources where justified while maintaining a disciplined and proportionate approach to expenditure”.

To this end, he said that the EU’s various institutions “have already made significant efforts to improve their efficiency and save resources”, and hat “these efforts must continue, and should be accompanied by a realistic assessment of the tasks and obligations incumbent upon each institution”.

MEPs to vote on Wednesday

His co-rapporteur, Latvia’s Nils Usakovs, meanwhile, said that the committee had “put partisan politics aside and adopted a focused budgetary resolution … in order to shore up parliament’s unity for the negotiations to come”.

“Parliament proposes to restore all Council cuts – €1bn in commitments and over €500m in payments, and add €1.17bn to the draft budget. Behind every budget line we vote on tomorrow are real people and their needs,” he said.

MEPs will vote on the parliament’s position on Wednesday. If they approve the position set out by Hadjipantela and Usakovs, the “conciliation committee” of the parliament and the Council will convene on November 3 with the aim of reaching a compromise by November 16.

Should a provisional agreement be reached by that date, the joint text will then be voted on both at the Council and at the parliament for final approval.