European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and leaders of the Parliament’s political groups arrived in Nicosia on 1 December for a two-day visit ahead of Cyprus assuming the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU on 1 January 2026. The delegation met President Nikos Christodoulides, cabinet ministers and party leaders to align priorities. High on the draft agenda: finalising the Pact on Migration and Asylum, deepening Schengen and external-border reforms, and accelerating work-visa facilitation for critical-skills shortages.
Cyprus, the only EU member still outside Schengen, wants to use its presidency to secure political agreement on its own accession roadmap while steering talks on the bloc’s controversial Entry/Exit System (EES) roll-out—issues that directly affect cross-border travellers and employers. Metsola told reporters that “finding pragmatic solutions to mobility and migration is central to citizens’ expectations.”
![EU Parliament Leaders Meet in Nicosia to Shape 2026 Council Presidency Agenda, Migration Tops List]()
For global-mobility professionals the upcoming presidency offers a window to influence EU-wide rules on intra-company transfers, Blue-Card reforms and talent-attraction visas. Cypriot officials say stakeholder consultations will open early in the six-month term.
The visit also signalled support for Cyprus’ efforts to manage disproportionate asylum inflows via the Green Line and by sea from Lebanon and Syria. Parliamentarians toured reception facilities and discussed EU funding for faster asylum adjudication and returns.
Corporate relocation teams should watch the presidency calendar—informal justice-and-home-affairs meetings are planned in Limassol in March 2026—where draft texts could emerge that shape mobility compliance for years.
Cyprus, the only EU member still outside Schengen, wants to use its presidency to secure political agreement on its own accession roadmap while steering talks on the bloc’s controversial Entry/Exit System (EES) roll-out—issues that directly affect cross-border travellers and employers. Metsola told reporters that “finding pragmatic solutions to mobility and migration is central to citizens’ expectations.”
For global-mobility professionals the upcoming presidency offers a window to influence EU-wide rules on intra-company transfers, Blue-Card reforms and talent-attraction visas. Cypriot officials say stakeholder consultations will open early in the six-month term.
The visit also signalled support for Cyprus’ efforts to manage disproportionate asylum inflows via the Green Line and by sea from Lebanon and Syria. Parliamentarians toured reception facilities and discussed EU funding for faster asylum adjudication and returns.
Corporate relocation teams should watch the presidency calendar—informal justice-and-home-affairs meetings are planned in Limassol in March 2026—where draft texts could emerge that shape mobility compliance for years.
