The EU supports the imitator Grilloumi instead of Halloumi - Financial Mirror

EU courts have backed a Swedish rival in a trade war over Halloumi, rejecting Cyprus' application to cancel the registration of the GRILLOUMI copycat. Cyprus has been defeated in another Halloumi court battle in the European Courts, the second after the traditional cheese was granted product of local origin (PDO) status.

EU courts have ruled in favor of Bulgarian and Swedish copycats. In this verdict, the European General Court determined that there was no significant risk of confusion between Grilloumi and Halloumi. Grilloumi is produced by a Swedish company specializing in Mediterranean cuisine and claiming to offer authentic Greek grilled cheese. The Swedish company officially registered its trademark in the European Union in 2016.

The following February, Cyprus appealed the registration, citing the trademark registration of the word "halloumi" as a local product. Cyprus' appeal was initially rejected by the European Intellectual Property Office in 2018, and a subsequent appeal was rejected by the Fourth Court of Appeal in July of the same year. In 2022, Cyprus sought to appeal the decision by taking the matter to the European Court of Justice, arguing that an erroneous criterion had been applied in assessing the likelihood of confusion and an incorrect judgment had been made as to the distinctive features of the two words and their associated products.

With the latest ruling, Cyprus faces another setback in its defense of its precious cheese. Nicosia retains a two-month deadline to appeal, but an appeal can only be made on points of law. Dairy producers in Cyprus seem to be getting used to the new rules of the game as authorities are increasingly unable to rein in copycats.

The head of the Cyprus Dairy Producers Association, Marios Constantinou, said in recent comments to the Financial Mirror that Cyprus should no longer waste resources fighting such copycats. Asked about the possibility of Halloumi being displaced by copycats or gaining a large market share, Constantinou said cheese producers on the island should not be too concerned. "We have a separate product protected by the PDO file and its strict criteria, including the condition that the cheese must be produced in Cyprus with Cypriot milk," Constantinou said.

The common word mark "halloumi" was registered on July 14, 2000 and is still valid in the EU and UK. It should protect the product from any copycats on the block. The line of defense was to become stronger with the adoption of the PDO file in 2020. Protected by the newly acquired PDO status, Cypriot white cheese producers and authorities believed they could capitalize on the ever-growing market. Halloumi cheese is considered the island's "white gold", with exports from 2017 to 2021 totaling €1.34 billion and revenues expected to grow exponentially in the coming years. According to the Ministry of Commerce, Cypriot dairy producers exported €284 million worth of Halloumi in 2022.