The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) published its 2025 review and set strategic priorities for 2026, pointing to continued emphasis on intensive supervision, strict enforcement and further digital upgrades as Cyprus prepares to assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Investor protection, transparency and financial sector resilience were presented as the core supervisory objectives. Supervisory activity in 2025 included around 600 on-site and off-site inspections of Cyprus Investment Firms and broader reviews of asset managers, collective investment entities, issuers and market infrastructures, with a focus on professional conduct, sustainability risks, data quality, capital adequacy and compliance with MiFID II, the Digital Operational Resilience Act and the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, as well as emerging issues such as investment product promotion by influencers. Anti-money laundering work included 43 thematic inspections and enhanced monitoring of compliance with EU restrictive measures, particularly related to Russia. Outcomes included administrative fines and settlements totalling about €2.3 million in 2025 (bringing the three-year total to €7.3 million), corrective actions requested in more than 170 cases, licence suspensions or revocations, and halts to trading of certain securities on the Cyprus Stock Exchange, alongside referrals to the Attorney General, MOKAS and the police. CySEC also approved 47 new licences, bringing supervised entities to 808, and reported assets under management in collective investment schemes of €11.4 billion. Ahead of the EU Presidency in the first half of 2026, CySEC highlighted its work on major EU legislative files including the Market Infrastructure Package, the Retail Investment Strategy and the revision of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation, and confirmed it will host meetings of the European Securities and Markets Authority Management Board and Board of Supervisors in April 2026. Further digital transformation investment and a substantial enhancement of human resources are planned for 2026, alongside ongoing public warnings about unauthorised online entities and financial literacy initiatives.

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