. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/464 
4 February 2004 
 (04-0399) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NEW MEASURES FOR THE PROTECTION OF BEES 
 
Communication from the European Communities
 
  
 The following communication, dated 28 January 2 004, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the European Communities.  
_______________ 
 1. The European Commission adopted recently a legal text stepping up measures to protect the 
EC bee population from two exotic parasites.  Th e original proposal was notified to WTO trade 
partners in document G/SPS/N/EEC/208 (25 July 2003)  and it was modified later - to take into 
account of their comments - on a new text no tified in document G/SPS/N/EEC/208/Add.1 (27 
October 2003).  
Background 
 
2. Bees are imported into the European Commun ities to extend breeding stocks and to improve 
the productivity of the apiculture industr y, but at the moment bees can enter the 
European Communities in large consignments that are very difficult to examine rigorously for the 
presence of parasites.  
3. The small hive beetle Aethina tumida  and the parasitic mite Tropilaelaps are not international 
notifiable diseases of the bee according the Terrestri al Animal Health Code of the International 
Animal Health Organization (OIE).  Both parasites have never been reported in the 
European Communities. 
4. If introduced from third countries, the small hive beetle and Tropilaelaps could severely 
endanger bee health, the apiculture industry and honey production.  In effect, the small hive beetle can 
multiply rapidly in infested colonies where it eats brood stock, destroys combs and, if unchecked, 
ultimately destroys the colony; the Tropilaelaps  mite has also been shown to cause high mortality in 
affected bee colonies.  The mite s have also been linked to bees suffering leg and wing deformities.  
These pests can hence disrupt pollination so they also pose a risk to the sustaina bility of the apiculture 
industry as well as agriculture and the environment in  the European Communities.   It is also well 
documented that these two parasites have had a devastating effect on the health of honey bees, the bee 
industry and the production of honey in affected third countries so the European Commission proposed these simple import rules to make sure thes e bee parasites do not hitch a ride to Europe.  It 
has also been shown that their infestivity (and inf estation rate) cause the diseases to spread very easily 
so checks at destination are recommended as an additional safeguard. 
5. In view of the above, and as an internal meas ure affecting intra-community trade only, the 
European Commission added these two parasites to  the list of notifiable diseases within in the G/SPS/GEN/464 
Page 2  
 
 European Communities
1 making it compulsory for all beekeeper s within the European Communities 
who suspect their colonies are infest ed, to inform the appropriate authorities in their member States 
who, in turn, should inform the European Commission and other EC member States.  
6. Further to this, and in view of the risks po sed by these pests, EC member States deemed 
necessary to adopt additional measures to prevent the parasites entering and spreading through the 
European Communities, therefore the Commissi on proposed to the EC member States a new 
harmonized Community rule for the imports of both live honey bees and bumble bees from third countries and to verify the absence of these paras ites for bee imports.  The Commission's proposal 
was agreed with the EC memb er States through the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and 
Animal Health on 4-5 November 2003.  
Legal reference 
 
7. Commission Decision 2003/881/EC of 11 December 2003 concerning the animal health and 
certification conditions for imports of bees (Apis mellifera and Bombus spp.) from certain third 
countries and repealing Decision 2000/462/EC (Offic ial Journal of the EC, L328, Volume 46, 
17 December 2003 pages 26-31).   The full text can be downloaded from the address indicated below:  
English:  http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/o j/dat/2003/l_328/l_32 820031217en00260031.pdf
 
French:  http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/fr/o j/dat/2003/l_328/l_32820031217fr00260031.pdf  
Spanish:  http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/es/oj/d at/2003/l_328/l_32 820031217es00260031.pdf  
 
What changes can be expected?  
 
8. Under the new Decision, imports of bees will be  limited to consignments containing a single 
queen bee with a maximum of 20 accompanying atte ndants.  Imports will only be authorized from 
third countries that have demonstrated the necess ary veterinary competence to certify that animals 
fulfil all criteria for import into the European Co mmunities and where the small hive beetle and the 
Tropilaelaps  mite are notifiable diseases.  
9. When the consignment arrives in the European  Communities, the cages, attendants, and any 
other material accompanying queens fro m the third country of origin must also be sent to a laboratory 
where they will all be examined for the presence of  the small hive beetle, their eggs or larvae and 
signs of the Tropilaelaps  mite.  
10. Small colonies of bumble bees up to a maximum of 200 adults can still be authorized for 
import into the European Communities if they have been bred and reared solely under 
environmentally controlled conditions.  
__________ 
 
 
                                                      
1 Commission Regulation (EC) No 1398/2003 of 5 August 2003 amending Annex A to Council 
Directive 92/65/EEC to include the small hive beetle ( Aethina tumida ), the Tropilaelaps mite ( Tropilaelaps  
spp.), Ebola and monkey pox (Official Journal L 198, 6/8/2003 pp. 3-6).