Citizens can stand as candidates either in a party list/ coalition of parties/independent groups, or individually, as independent candidates, provided that they have not been deprived of their right to stand as a candidate in their country of origin and are not candidates in any other country of the European Union.
The lists shall consist of at least two (2) candidates and the number of candidates in each list may not exceed six (6), corresponding to the seats allocated to the Republic of Cyprus.
Candidacies shall be submitted to the Chief Returning Officer at the time and place specified in the Notice of the Chief Returning Officer in the Government Gazette of the Republic and shall be displayed in a prominent place at the location where the candidacies are submitted. For the 2024 European elections candidacies shall be submitted on Wednesday 24th April 2024.
Each candidacy shall be submitted in writing and signed by four (4) voters, two of whom sign the candidacy forms as proposers and the other two as sponsors.
Candidate’s qualifications
Cypriot voters and European citizens residing in Cyprus and registered on the relevant special electoral roll, shall have the right to stand as candidates and they should:
(a) have reached the age of 21
(b) not be convicted of an offence of dishonesty or moral turpitude or deprived of the right to be elected due to any electoral offence, following a ruling issued by a court having jurisdiction;
(c) not be suffering from any mental illness preventing them from performing their duties of as members of the European Parliament.
Incompatible functions
The status of a Member of the European Parliament is incompatible with the status of:
· A member of the government of a Member State.
· A member of the National Council.
· A member of the Commission of the European Communities.
· Judge, Advocate-General or Registrar of the Court of Justice of the European Communities or of the General Court of Justice.
· Member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank.
· Member of the Court of Auditors of the European Communities.
· Ombudsman of the European Communities.
· Member of the European Economic and Social Committee and of the European Atomic Energy Agency.
· Member of the Committees or Bodies set up pursuant to or in application of the Treaties establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community for the purpose of administering Community funds or for the continuous and direct exercise of management tasks.
· In active employment or member of staff of the institutions of the European Communities or institutions or organisations affiliated with them or with the European Central Bank.
· In active employment or member of staff of the institutions of the European Communities or the specialised agencies affiliated with them with these institutions.
· Member of the municipal council.
· Belonging to the armed or security forces of the Republic.
· Holding any public or municipal office or position.
· Holding any office or position in any legal entity governed by public law or any public utility body.
How to submit a candidacy?
The submission of candidacy of every candidate and community candidate shall be in accordance with the provisions and procedures laid down in Section 19 of the Law on the Election of Members of the House of Representatives.
By submitting their candidacy, citizens of European Union member states, should also submit the following documents:
a) A solemn declaration specifying the candidate’s nationality, address of habitual residence in Cyprus, date and place of birth, stating that he is not at the same time standing as a candidate for elections to the European Parliament in another Member State or in the Republic of Cyprus in a combination of another party or coalition of cooperating parties, the date from which he is a national of a Member State, that he has not been deprived of the right to stand as a candidate in his home Member State and his last address in the home Member State.
(b) A Cypriot identity card or a valid passport or identity card issued by the Member State of EU candidate’s nationality and/or a certificate of registration of a EU citizen concerning him.
Fee
A fee of €1.000 shall be paid for each candidacy. This amount shall be reimbursed in the event of the withdrawal of the candidate’s nomination, election or to the candidates of a list that received 1/3 of the electoral threshold, even if they are not elected. Otherwise, the fee shall be confiscated and deposited with the National Fund of the Republic of Cyprus.