The Ministry of Agriculture Rural Development and the Environment announced on Thursday that 59 certificates of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) have been issued to Cypriot halloumi/hellim producers, following the first PDO certification issued to a Turkish Cypriot halloumi/hellim producer. According to the Ministry so far 58 PDO certificates have been issued to halloumi producers operating in the government-controlled areas. The Republic of Cyprus has gone to great lengths to ensure that both Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot producers would benefit from the promotion of halloumi/hellim as PDO, the Ministry said recalling, that the government had a constructive approach on the revision of the Green Line regulation so ‘our Turkish Cypriot fellow citizens would also benefit.’ Furthermore, the Ministry pointed out that the implementation of the EU regulation 2021/591 to include halloumi/hellim in the PDO registry “once more provides Turkish Cypriots the possibility to benefit from our country’s capacity as an EU member-state.’ The Ministry noted that this development highlights the EU role in the efforts to resume UN-led talks for a solution to the Cyprus problem in line with Cyprus President’s Nikos Christodoulides’ initiative for a more active role by the EU in the negotiations. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Numerous UN-led talks have failed to reunify Cyprus under a federal roof. Cyprus became an EU member-state in May 2004.
Source: Cyprus News Agency