Ministers handling the registration of Halloumi as a PDO (Product of Designated Origin) with the European Commission were grilled by MPs over tactics and policy while being told that “nothing has been done”.
Commerce Minister George Lakkotrypis and Minister of Agriculture Costas Kadis were called to account this week over what is happening with Halloumi’s PDO file.
Registering Halloumi as a PDO is believed to prevent foreign dairy producers from making and selling their versions of the traditional white cheese recognised as a product specific to Cyprus.
MPs told ministers that not only are their tactics failing to secure Halloumi as a product of Cypriot origin but in fact, the country is losing its grip on the traditional squeaky cheese.
AKEL MP and House’s Agricultural Committee chair Andros Kafkalias told the Financial Mirror that he is tired of hearing the same old stories at every meeting with the Ministers.
“MPs find that not only has no progress been made since last time but that we are taking a step back, which is extremely disappointing,” said Kafkalias.
“Ministers trying to excuse yet another failure to defend Halloumi’s Cypriotness in courtrooms across the world, with the loss of the UK trademark being the icing on the cake,” he added.
He also blamed the government for failing to protect the interests of the country. He argued that the government is incapable of managing the issue and has allowed the halloumi to become hostage to the Cyprus problem.
“The government entrapped itself when it linked the file with the political problem of the country.”
“They have been saying the same things since 2016. At every meeting with MPs, the Agriculture Minister would say that we are close, and the file will soon be completed, the only problem is the link to the Cyprus problem, with Turkish Cypriots demanding to be able to export their Halloumi products.”
Accreditation of Halloumi as a PDO product has been stuck at the European Commission since 28 July 2015 when it was submitted.
The sticking point is the connection of halloumi’s file with the Cyprus problem and disagreements between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots on how halloumi products will be checked and exported.
Despite the initial consensus achieved between the two sides in 2015, the matter is deadlocked on trade involving products produced by livestock.
A few days before the publication of Cyprus’ halloumi file in the European Union's Journal, on July 16, 2015, President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci had reached an understanding which led Juncker’s office to issue a statement saying there was a “consensus”.
It provided that "the European Commission will adopt a proposal to amend the Green Line Regulation on the same day as the official publication of the official application for the registration of Halloumi / Hellim as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) of Regulation No. 1151/2012".
Kafkalias said that when the ministers were asked by MPs what exactly is the problem, they “failed to give clear explanations”.
DIKO and Green MPs are also dissatisfied with answers provided by ministers, stating the government does not have a roadmap nor a strategy on protecting Halloumi.
DIKO MP Christos Orphanides spoke about the lack of strategy and empty promises of those in charge and added that the PDO file is still in the commissioners' drawer because the Turkish Cypriots were also involved in the issue of producing halloumi.
“Dairy producers abroad are flooding markets with their Halloumi-type products. During a recent visit to Helsinki, I found Halloumi from Poland, Sweden made exclusively with cow's milk sold at supermarkets for €6 a kilo, while in Cyprus it sold at €12-13,” said Orphanides.
Kadis responding to MPs concerns, confirmed that the PDO file is stuck in EU corridors due to the political aspect of the issue, for which the government is working on finding solutions.
He explained that the Republic is looking for a valid and lawful mechanism to allow Halloumi to be produced in the Turkish occupied territories and traded through the Green Line Regulation.
Kadis also referred to a letter sent by President Anastasiades to the President of the Commission, which, he said, created mobility.
He said there is an ongoing effort for the EU to reach a conclusion, saying that little can be said because these are sensitive issues and balances that need to be maintained.
Lakkotrypis said that requests for the cancellation of Cyprus’ EU Halloumi trademark is an important issue and a matter concerning the whole of the bloc.
He said 99 court cases are pending against various dairy producers abusing the halloumi trademark, with the pressure at a European level being high.
Meanwhile, disagreements between stakeholders over the description of the squeaky cheese included in the PDO file persist.
Dairy producers fear that if the file is approved by the European Commission then producers will lose millions overnight and thousands of people employed by the industry will be left jobless.
The sticking point of the PDO file is that currently, producers make halloumi with a ratio of 80%-20% of cow’s to goat or sheep’s milk, while the description of the file says that halloumi should be produced with a minimum of 51% goat or sheep’s milk as of 2024.
The President of the Dairy Producers Association, George Petrou claimed this has delivered a blow to exports and called upon all stakeholders to pull together so as not to destroy what he called the island’s “white gold”.
