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Disputes about agreements not kept
The agreement of July 22, 2022 provided for faithful implementation of the Legislation and the European Regulation that enshrines halloumi as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), but also specific changes requested by cheesemakers and cattle farmers.
The specific agreement framework was accepted by the cattle breeders, sheep and goat breeders and cheese makers in a meeting they had on July 22, 2022, in the presence of the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment and the Secretary General of the KEBE.
The implementation of specific changes provided for the withdrawal from all sides of all judicial and administrative proceedings that were in progress and directly or indirectly related to the halloumi file and after the aforementioned changes have been implemented.
Despite the agreement reached with the cheesemakers, there are still appeals to the General Court of the EU over the standard by cattle farmers and halloumi traders, and a decision is expected on February 21, 2024.
The cheesemakers believe that some changes provided for in the agreement were not implemented by the relevant Ministries. These concern the possibility of boiling in water, salting in water, the possibility of including in the PDO halloumi burger and halloumi lactose free. Also the extension of the transitional period for another five years for which approval from the EU is required.
The agreement also provided for the promotion by the Ministry of Commerce of the “Cypriot white grilled cheese” that can be produced from Cypriot milk, without meeting all PDO specifications, something that is also pending.
It is still considered that the state did not comply with the point of sending the agreement to the competent authorities of the Competition Protection Commission for control, as a result of which there were two investigations by the EPA to decide whether they would be fined.
At the same time, a mechanism has not been created to determine the cost of milk, with the result that there are disagreements between cheesemakers and producers about the cost at which the milk will be purchased.
Based on the July 2022 agreement, the Minister of Trade, Energy and Industry would issue a decree specifying that the minimum participation of goat and sheep milk in the halloumi mixture for the months of September 2022 to January 2023 will be 10% and for the months February to August 2023, the minimum percentage participation of goat's milk will be 25%.
From September 2023 to January 2024, the percentage participation of goat's milk in the halloumi mix will be determined based on availability, with a minimum of 10%. From February 2024 until July 2024 the minimum percentage participation of goat and sheep milk in the halloumi mix will be 25% and thereafter the agreement reached by the parties involved will apply.
Sheep and goat farmers have reacted in the past to the non-implementation of the agreement signed by the parties involved.
After the decree on 19% goat and sheep milk in halloumi was issued, cattle farmers spoke of disastrous consequences in terms of its production. halloumi.
Furthermore, the cheesemakers had criticized the Ministry for asking them to stop the production of purely goat-sheep halloumi in order to increase the goat-sheep milk quota in mixed halloumi to 20%.
The Association considers that there is no surplus of milk, nor is there any reason to increase the quota of goat's milk in PDO halloumi.
Moreover, on the occasion of the recent developments concerning halloumi and the meeting planned for tomorrow between the Association of Cyprus Cheesemakers and the President of the Republic, the Coordinating Committee of the Goat and Sheep Farmers issued a statement, in which it states that the positions of the goat and sheep farmers regarding the production and marketing of halloumi PDOs remain constant.
Specifically, they state that they demand the implementation of the halloumi decree, dated 20/10/2023, which set the minimum permissible quota of goat's and sheep's milk in the preparation of halloumi at 19% for the period of October 20, 2023 and January 31, 2024, and in 25% for the remaining months until the end of the transition period in July 2024, the faithful implementation of the Legislation and the European Regulation that enshrines halloumi as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) from July 2024 onwards and strict, transparent, and intensive controls to comply with the PDO rules for halloumi.
Also, it is added, “we welcome the recent statements of the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Petros Xenophontos, and the Director General at the Ministry of Agriculture Andreas Grigoriou, which confirm that the Ministry is acting in the right direction”.
They invite all those involved in the production and marketing of PDO halloumi, cheese makers and cattle farmers as well as the Ministry of Agriculture, to “ let us all work selflessly and with respect for the Legislation and the European Regulation on halloumi”.
< p>“Only by respecting the PDO halloumi specifications will we ensure the quality and authenticity of our product, only with legality will we protect what is generally acknowledged as the “white gold” of Cyprus, they conclude.
