Cyprus unites behind EU protection for halloumi cheese

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission is considering giving commercial protection to halloumi from Cyprus, which, if approved, would give both sides of the divided island the sole right to sell cheese with that name in the European Union.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the proposal showed the determination of the island's two communities to work together.

"This step demonstrates the commitment of both communities of Cyprus to work together on projects unifying the whole island," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in a statement.

"The cheese is a tradition which has linked the communities living here for centuries."

Halloumi, known as hellim in Turkish, may now join Greek feta and French champagne in achieving protected designation of origin status. The status is reserved for well-known and high quality European products.

Any objection to halloumi's protection must be submitted to the European Commission within the next three months.

The proposal faced legal complications because of a split on the island where Greek and Turkish Cypriots have lived estranged since 1974, when Turkey invaded the island's north after a Greek-inspired coup.

Those have been surmounted by proposing that the protection should apply to the cheese, made predominately from sheep's and goat's milk, on both sides of the divided island.

(Additional reporting by Michele Kambas; editing by Barbara Lewis and Susan Thomas)

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