The Council of Agriculture and Fisheries of the EU, meeting in Brussels, has approved the extension of Cyprus' ability to determine the milk ratio used in halloumi cheese production for an additional five years, according to an announcement from the Ministry of Agriculture.

This extension is effectively granted through the adoption of the provisions of the new Regulation on the Protection of Geographical Indications and Quality Systems. This regulation, which was approved by the EU Council on Tuesday morning, was passed without discussion.

The new Regulation allows the extension until 2029 of the decree by the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, and Industry regarding the ratio of sheep's and cow's milk in halloumi production. Until now, this capability was provisioned only until July 2024.

As noted by the Ministry of Agriculture, the government's effort for this extension was part of the agreement made in July 2022 between cheesemakers, cattle breeders, and sheep and goat farmers.

The new regulation provides for enhanced protection of a geographical indication, particularly when a specific ingredient is used in the name of a related processed food. In such cases, it is noted, recognized producer groups must be informed and the percentage of the ingredient mentioned.

The regulation also includes provisions to strengthen the role of producer groups, which now have the authority to manage their geographical indications and can represent themselves in meetings concerning the implementation of intellectual property rights.

Furthermore, member states can designate producer groups as "recognized producer groups" with exclusive rights exercised on behalf of all producers of a product defined by a geographical indication.

The regulation also ensures the protection of geographical indications on the internet, employing geo-blocking practices for websites that include names constituting geographical indications. The EU Intellectual Property Office will manage the information and alert system.

The regulation will be signed and published in the Official Journal of the EU. Its enforcement officially begins 20 days after its publication.