Erhürman: Key Step Reached for Halloumi Trade via Green Line

Erhürman recalled that from the very beginning of the talks initiated after he took office, one of their primary demands had been the swift completion of procedures related to halloumi. Although a target date of January 31 had been set, the process remained incomplete beyond that deadline.

He noted that the regulatory framework concerning halloumi’s Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), along with the rules allowing its trade via the Green Line, entered into force on April 12, 2021, following publication in the EU Official Journal.

Within this framework, the institution responsible for conducting inspections—required under the regulation—was appointed only recently, on April 6, 2026, after a delay of nearly five years. Erhürman confirmed that Bureau Veritas Paris office has now been authorized to oversee compliance.

He stressed that this development marks an important threshold, potentially enabling one of the island’s key export products to access EU markets indirectly through the Green Line, while efforts continue to finalize the remaining steps and launch trade as soon as possible.