The House Agriculture Committee has called on the Minister of Agriculture, Maria Panayiotou, to increase inspections of halloumi cheese with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status both within and outside Cyprus.
The committee expressed worry over issues surrounding the trade of halloumi as a PDO product and measures to support producers.
Concerns were raised about markets in third countries being flooded with products from the occupied north using the halloumi name without meeting PDO specifications, creating unfair competition for local businesses.
Legal challenges to the PDO standard are ongoing at national and European levels. Appeals by Cypriot companies against the PDO standard were rejected by the EU General Court, but an appeal is pending at the Court of Justice of the European Union.
In Cyprus, appeals have been made to the Administrative Court against the ministerial decree on quotas and fines.
Minister Panayiotou outlined efforts to maintain halloumi as Cyprus’s primary export product while ensuring sustainability for all stakeholders. She stated, “There is no complacency”, noting that specific steps are being taken to improve the current situation.
The ministry is conducting random and administrative checks and is working to tighten legislation. Panayiotou added that Cypriot authorities have successfully removed non-PDO products labelled as halloumi from shelves in European countries.
A draft of stricter penalties for non-compliance with halloumi PDO specifications is expected by year-end. The ministry has conducted 36 product checks and 22 administrative checks, with six non-compliances recorded.
The discussion revealed tensions between government officials, with the director of state aids expressing concerns about Cyprus’s credibility in the EU regarding the halloumi issue.
Minister Panayiotou strongly defended her ministry’s adherence to EU regulations and instructions.
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