It is a beautiful cheese, all white, a mixture of goat and sheep milk. It is sometimes eaten plain, but more often in a salad, or accompanied by meat skewers. Halloumi is more than a national cheese in Cyprus, it is a tradition, a way of life. Often produced by small family farms, it dominates every table. Halloumi is a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and only cheeses produced on Cypriot soil can claim this designation. So, when the deputies of this small country of the European Union (EU) understood that the rights of halloumi were insufficiently protected in the Europe agreement with Canada (Ceta), their decision was final.
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Thus, on July 31, the Cypriot Parliament voted against the ratification of this agreement, specifying that the Republic of Cyprus could subsequently negotiate a few exceptions, including the protection of the production of crispy cheese. Ceta entered into force provisionally in September 2017. Its final implementation requires ratification by all EU members. Cyprus (like France, which has not yet ratified it) is undermining the agreement. According to the Cypriot opposition, Ceta will only benefit multinationals to the detriment of local producers. The EU does not want to stop there. Negotiations are underway with Cyprus. The delegations take turns on the island of Aphrodite. The idea is to organize a new debate in Parliament, providing guarantees to deputies. It remains to be seen if they will not make a big deal out of it.