The European Commission adopted, on 13 January, a report on the implementation of the apiculture programmes which shows that “including apiculture support in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) strategic plans as a mandatory component for all Member States further underlines the importance of the sector”.
This recognises the contribution of apiculture to the specific objectives of the CAP, particularly with regard to enhancing biodiversity and preserving habitats, as well as the valuable support these programmes provide in addressing the growing challenges to beekeeping, which are compounded by climate change, the report says.
The range of measures has expanded over the years. A good indicator of the positive impact of these programmes on the sector is the number of beehives, which continues to increase year on year. “However, this is not always accompanied by an increase in production, which is heavily dependent on climatic conditions amongst other factors”, the Commission regrets.
Average honey prices in the EU have increased little over the years, while production costs continue to rise and import prices fall. Concerted efforts by all will be needed to overcome these many challenges. Link to the report: https://aeur.eu/f/4wo (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)