Brussels, 27/05/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 28 May, the European Commission is to adopt a report on measures aimed at improving the conditions under which beekeeping products are produced and marketed. The Commission considers the mechanism providing for the setting in place of national programmes with a view to improving production and marketing in the European Union “gives positive results” for the beekeeping sector not only from the point of view of member states but also from that of beekeepers. The Commission considers it is not appropriate to amend the legislation in this field.
Article 184 of Council Regulation 1234/2007 on common market organisation (CMO) in the beekeeping sector provides for a report to be submitted every three years on implementation of measures for the improvement of conditions for the marketing and production of apiculture products. The report covers the marketing years 2006-2007, 2007-2008 and 2008-2009.
The mercantile context in which these programmes are applied has not changed considerably since 2007. The European market remains highly dependent on imports (over 40% of honey consumed is imported), although this is less than in the past. The most remarkable development on the global market is the surge in prices. This high price level - especially in Argentina (where production has fallen), which used to be the primary source of EU supplies - has had the effect of reactivating imports of honey from China into the EU. In addition to the trade aspect, the sector is still suffering from the problem of dwindling bee colonies.
According to data communicated by member states in 2007, there are 595,775 beekeepers in the EU, including 19,025 professionals (more than 150 hives). Although the number of beekeepers has slightly increased compared to 2004, this is due to the EU's enlargement to Bulgaria and Romania. Without these countries, the total number of beekeepers would have plummeted. The total number of hives is 13,602,710 of which 4,461,606 belong to professional beekeepers (3.2% own nearly 33% of hives). The number of hives in the EU has increased by 1,971,419 since the last count in 2004. This is partially due to the EU enlargement in 2007, with the number of hives counted in the two member states that joined the EU in the last enlargement being 1,646,736. The number of hives, however, also increased in the EU25 between 2004 and 2007. According to beekeepers, this rise in the number of hives is necessary to offset the rising bee mortality rate.
Member states with the largest number of hives are: Spain (17.06%), Greece (10.8%), France (10%), and Italy (8.5%). With around 130,000 hives fewer than in 2004, Spain has seen its share of total bee numbers decline considerably compared to the Community total (17.1% instead of 21.9%).
Implementation of expenditure. For the period 2007-2009, the two measures most widely used remain those to combat varroa mites in honey bee colonies, and technical assistance. Measures for increasing bee numbers are being more and more widely used, due to the fact that the decline of bee colonies has gathered pace in recent years (member states that have used this measure the most are Poland and Romania). Measures in favour of honey analysis and applied research are less used than in the past and now account for only 6-7% of spending in 2009. France devotes the largest budget of nearly €900,000 in 2009 for applied research, which is more than half of the total amounts devoted to this at Community level. When it comes to honey analysis, however, Spain is the country that allocates the largest sums.
On the whole, member states are very pleased with the way in which programmes are managed and requests for amending the regulation have not been reiterated. Nonetheless, some requests from member states have been made known to the Commission: - some member states call for measures to support laboratories for analysing the physical-chemical characteristics of honey to be extended to other bee products (this is not a priority, the Commission answers); - some countries are calling for aid to combat bee diseases other than the varroa mite (the Commission has refused); - and some countries are calling for the possibility to carry out projects with a European objective between several member states (the Commission may accept this). Finally, some member states are asking the Commission to make a number of changes to the regulation on implementation arrangements, mostly for the inclusion of definitions of other hive products (the Commission will be studying this request).
Furthermore, some operators have recommended that there should be an increase in the budget and share of Community funding. (L.C./transl.jl)