In the resolution passed by 560 votes to 27, MEPs call on Member States to invest in protecting bee health, fight honey adulteration and support beekeepers . In particular, they want to rebuild the bee population. They urge for an EU level action plan to combat bee mortality, breeding programmes to boost resilience to invasive species like Varroa destructor and more research to develop innovative bee drugs and increase their availability. They also want to ensure that imports meet the EU’s high standards and that border inspections and Single Market checks are harmonised and all imported honey tested, with more effective laboratory testing procedures. Finally, honey and bee products must be treated as “sensitive” in the trade talks with non-EU countries or even excluded, MEPs said.
Welcoming the main thrust of the report, Copa and Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen said “The EU is the world’s second biggest producer after China, with 600 000 bee keepers producing about 250 000 tonnes of honey each year. It is an important sector for us and it is good news that MEPs want a long term Strategy to boost its resilience”.
