Engineer / Engineering Services – Temporary

The application for the registration to the Register of Engineering Services Providers can be submitted electronically here (available in Greek, for English please use Google Chrome’s (internet browser) “Translate” option or similar).

There is no cost for submitting the application.

Contact details of the competent authority:

Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber
P.O.BOX 21826, 1513 Nicosia
Tel. 35722877644
Fax. 35722730373
Email: cyprus@etek.org.cy
Website: https://www.etek.org.cy

The application should be accompanied by the following documents:

• copy of Identity card or Passport of an EU member state;
• copy of University Degree;
• copy of Transcript of Academic Records;
• copy of criminal record;
• copy of the Engineering Science Practice’s licence in the home member state;
• certificate of permanent residence in an EU member state;
• certificate of one year practical training under the supervision of a civil engineer or architect (for the registration of a civil engineer or an architect)*;
• where services will address a specific project, a declaration is needed stating the specific services and the period of time to be provided**;
• two (2) recent passport-size photos;

*The practical training certificate form is available on the ETEK website. In case it is not possible to submit it for any reason, a curriculum vitae of the applicant should be attached in which his/her work experience is recorded.
**The Contract or Agreement signed by the applicant for the project must be presented.

The applicant is informed regarding the authorization decision within three months from the date that the application form and supporting documents were duly submitted.

• Directive 2005/36/EC on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications
• Directive 2013/55/EU amending Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications and Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 on administrative cooperation through the Internal Market Information System (‘the IMI Regulation’)
• The Cyprus Scientific Technical Chamber Law of 1990 (224/1990)

Registered engineers are obliged to comply with the provisions of the ETEK Law, the Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics, as periodically amended. Indicatively, the following information is provided below:

Implementation of Code of Conduct – Assignor’s Authorization

According to Regulation 4(2) of the Code of Conduct of the Members of the Cyprus Scientific Technical Chamber Regulations “a project may be assigned only on the basis of a written authorization by the assignor, in which the fee must also be stated”. Read more herein.

With a view to application of the above provision, the Legislator has introduced into the Roads and Buildings (Amendments) Regulations of 2000 [AA 148/2000] reference to the above document of the Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber. Engineers wishing to obtain Assignor’s Authorizations must dispatch to the Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber the relevant application (see related documents), suitably filled in.

Implementation of Code of Ethics – Terms and limitation in advertising – Prohibition on touting and unfair advertising

The Code of Ethics of the Members of the Cyprus Scientific Technical Chamber, lists a series of permitted action that Members can refer to in order to promote and / or advertise their professional activities. Specifically and under the restrictions stated in the Code, the Members have the right to:

• inform the public of their professional mission statements, advances and achievements;
• reply to questions raised in technical or other press;
• utilize mass media in order to publicize their opinion on technical or other issues;
• print and distribute business cards or other documents which may include their name and address, as well as professional qualifications and activities;
• publicize the establishment of their technical office;
• issue public announcements to recruit personnel;
• inform the public of their absence abroad to participate in scientific conferences.

Furthermore the following activities are also permitted:

• publicize and distribute brochures, as long as the Member, if requested, is in position to document the validity of the information presented;
• register announcements in phonebooks or other catalogues, in national or international directories of professionals or services;
• provide information regarding professional activities of the Member or the consultancy firm;
• launch a professional website, which can hold the name of the Member or the consultancy firm.

In general, the Code of Conduct allows lawful advertisement, publicity and promotion of professional activities, both within the Republic and abroad, within the regulated by the Code framework, in a respectful and dignified way. However, no advertising action should be:

• untrue, misleading or self-praising;
• include references or comparisons to other Members or consultancy firms, regarding the quality of the service provided, or the quantity of professional work, or fees and rewards involved;
• offend, lower, underestimate, discredit or criticize, either directly or indirectly, any other Member or consultancy firm;
• include name of clients without their written approval;
• repeated so frequently or in such magnitude as to exceed the limits and the rationale indicated by the professional practices;
• include references to specialization in certain domains of professional activities.

Furthermore, Regulation 7(1) states that the members shall be bound:

• not to tout or permit touting for custom, directly or indirectly, and not to permit any member of their staff to proceed to such actions;
• not to pay money or offer any kind of fee or commission or consideration, directly or indirectly, to any person with a view to touting for any custom or business on their behalf;
• to declare to their potential assignor any existing professional interest, which, if not declared, could give rise to doubts as to their professional integrity owing to their link to the potential professional obligation;
• not to use or permit any other person to use, directly or indirectly, agents or brokers with a view to exercising influence and assigning business to them or to reward any person with a view to securing their custom;
• not to accept work which involves receiving payment on the basis of brokerage, commission or on discount, and not to accept gifts or commission from any person related to a project or its execution.

Regulation 7(2) states that, without prejudice to the generality of the previous provisions, the Members must not tout or permit touting for business in the following ways:

• by an unsolicited offer of their services in any way, and in particular by visiting the assignor for this purpose or by submitting drawings to potential assignors without having been requested to do so;
• by seeking to secure a contract by reducing their fee, after having been informed of the fee that has been set for another colleague;
• by letters, circulars, publications in the press or announcements on the electronic media.

Regulation 7 states that the members must avoid direct or indirect self-advertisement and not do or cause or permit anything to be done, the main object of which would be their personal or professional promotion or advertisement.

The Disciplinary Board

With a view to exercising control and disciplinary power over the members of the Chamber, the Disciplinary Board (DB) has been set up. This is composed of the President of the Chamber, as Chairman, and ten other members of the Chamber, of whom six must have at least ten years of professional practice in a field of engineering science. The members of the Disciplinary Board are elected for a three-year term of office by the entirety of the registered members of the Chamber.

The disciplinary procedure is curried out by one of the three Divisions, which is composed by three members of the DB (chairman and two members), as defined and constituted by the plenary session. The Divisions may decide to send cases, which they consider to be of particular importance to the Chamber, to be investigated and concluded by the plenary session of the DB.

The plenary session of the Disciplinary Board has the power to refer Disciplinary cases, related to activities of members of Cyprus Scientific Technical Chamber, for hearing either before the plenary DB or one of the (3-membered) Divisions of the DB. The decisions, both of the plenary board and the Divisions are taken by simple majority vote.