The Grant Agreements were signed on 8th December 2023 between the European Funds Unit of the Ministry of Interior as the Managing Authority of the Home Affairs Funds, and the Cyprus Police as the beneficiary, for the financing of the following projects:

• Training against crime and terrorism
• Renewal of ORACLE product licenses for SIS/SIRENE System
• Purchase of class B vessels for border surveillance


Training against crime and terrorism
The main objectives of the project “Training against crime and terrorism” are to strengthen the operational capabilities of the Cyprus Police and in particular the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) and the Cyprus Police Academy (CPA), in order to effectively prevent and combat crime, terrorism and other incidents (e.g. drug trafficking, explosives, missing/wanted persons), as well as to upgrade and improve the IT equipment of the Cyprus Police Academy.

Specifically, within the framework of the project, the following actions will be implemented:
• Joint training in Cyprus and abroad among the ERU members and police members from other EU Member States, with the aim to prevent and manage terrorist incidents, combat security-related risks, prevent and combat cross-border crime. Joint training programmes will be carried out in Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Bulgaria.
• Training of members of the Security Unit (Specialist and General Security Unit) and members of the ERU Special Training Centre.
• Training of police dogs and members of the ERU, with the aim to detect explosive and drug substances in a timely manner, as well as to effectively trace and identify missing persons and/or criminals who have escaped.
• Joint training of the members of the ERU Explosive Device Disposal Experts Sector and explosive device disposal experts of the Hellenic Police.
• Training of the Cyprus Negotiation Team, so that these members can respond to incidents related to the kidnapping of persons/hostages, aircraft hijacking incidents, suicide attempts, incidents of barricaded wanted persons, heists, carjacking and other similar incidents.
• Training within the programme titled “Law Enforcement Training Scheme – LETS”.
• Purchase of IT equipment to meet the needs of the CPA, aiming to improve and upgrade the infrastructure and equipment of the CPA teaching/training rooms, so as to facilitate the continuous learning of the Cyprus Police members in specialized subjects.

The project is implemented within the context of the Internal Security Fund, co-funded by the European Union and the Republic of Cyprus, with a total budget of €298,203.09. Project implementation period: 1/5/2022 - 31/12/2024.


Renewal of ORACLE product licenses for SIS/SIRENE System
The main objective of the project “Renewal of ORACLE product licenses for SIS/SIRENE System" is the shielding of the Schengen Information System and SIRENE, for the Republic of Cyprus to have a fully operational system which will protect citizens’ freedom and security in the Schengen area. The Cyprus Police, as the Beneficiary of the project, will implement actions related to the renewal of the Oracle user licences of the SIS/SIRENE National System, aiming to:
• protect the most vulnerable persons,
• enhance cooperation (exchange of supplementary information for wanted persons and items),
• manage irregular immigration (better identification of third-country nationals),
• combat crime (arrest wanted persons) and
• reinforce controls at the external borders.

The renewal of the user licences is required due to the need emerging from the preventive cybersecurity actions which must be taken to protect the SIS/SIRENE electronic systems. Therefore, the project will fund the renewal of 212 Oracle products (user licences) for the Schengen National System and SIRENE, within the framework of the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy, funded by the European Union, with a total budget of €907,340.85. Project implementation period: 1/11/2022 - 31/12/2027.


Purchase of class B vessels for border surveillance
The project “Purchase of class B vessels for border surveillance” is pertinent to the purchase of three (3) new class B patrol vessels, with the aim to strengthen the operational capabilities of the Port and Marine Police for surveillance/protection of the coastline, the ports and the territorial waters of the Republic. The vessels will be used in all marine stations of the non-occupied area of Cyprus (Protaras, Ayia Napa, Kato Paphos, Latsi, Larnaca and Limassol) mainly for border surveillance, as well as for search and rescue purposes whenever fast and immediate response is required. In addition, the National Coordination Centre (NCC) will be reinforced and upgraded in order to comply with the Eurosur European system for border surveillance, cross-border crime prevention and suppression of illegal immigration, as part of the priorities of the Republic of Cyprus.

The delivery and use of the patrol vessels will ensure an important upgrade of the Port and Marine Police, as it will strengthen its operational capabilities and will contribute to the effective control of the maritime borders of the Republic of Cyprus. Specifically, it will improve the timely detection, identification and intervention at the maritime borders, and the operational capabilities of the Port and Marine Police, so that it can successfully carry out its duties and execute operations and patrols in a faster way and with lower fuel consumption.

The project is implemented within the framework of the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy and it is co-funded by the European Union and the Republic of Cyprus, with a total budget of €4,377,093.37. Project implementation period: 1/11/2022 - 31/01/2024.

It is noted that the project is a phasing project between the 2014-2020 and 2021-2027 Programming Periods and it includes the second phase, i.e. visits by experts, completion of the construction and delivery of the vessels, as well as special training.