WRITTEN QUESTION E-0395/01 by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Quality control of honey.
Date: 2001-02-15
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Greece, antibiotic, food inspection, food safety, food standard, foodstuffs legislation, honey, import (EU), labelling, veterinary drug

C 261 E/106

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.9.2001

(2001/C 261 E/111)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0395/01

by Mihail Papayannakis (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(15 February 2001)

Subject: Quality control of honey

A spot check was carried out at the Weidahaus border post in Bavaria on a consignment of honey from
Rumania, which was imported on behalf of a German company registered in Hamburg.

Laboratory tests showed that the product concerned contained the substance Streptomycin in the amount
of 66,6 ug/kg of honey. On 22 February 2000, the German company was informed of the result of the
tests; the company, however, then stated that the consignment of honey was bound for Greece and not
Hamburg.

The use of antibiotics in bee-keeping is in fact totally banned. However, as the General Consumers
Federation of Greece claims, no tests for antibiotics (cid:129) which are prohibited (cid:129) are carried out at all in
Greece. Moreover, according to the Federation, random checks on quality and the labelling of honey
containers have revealed that a large proportion of the containers either does not meet the required
specifications or is misleading for consumers in that the honey they contain is different from that
described on the label.

Given that Greece is a country with a high level of annual honey consumption, can the Commission say
whether Greece does not in fact carry out the necessary checks (cid:129) even spot checks (cid:129) on honey to
determine whether banned antibiotics have been used in consignments of honey which have been
marketed and which, allegedly, do not meet the required specifications or where there is a discrepancy
between label and content?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(10 April 2001)

The use of antibiotics to treat bees is not permitted in the Community. However, third countries that
export honey to the Community sometimes use antibiotics to treat their bees, in accordance with their
own legislation.

In this case, products imported into the Community must still meet European standards, in particular with
regard to residues of veterinary medical products. In addition to the routine checks at the Community(cid:146)s
border inspection posts, Member States must, every year, implement a monitoring plan for residues in
animal products in application of Council Directive 96/23/EC of 29 April 1996 on measures to monitor
certain substances and residues thereof in live animals and animal products and repealing Directives 85/
358/EEC and 86/469/EEC and Decisions 89/187/EEC and 91/664/EEC (1). This plan includes the monitor-
ing of honey for antibiotics. Greece has submitted the results of its 1999 monitoring plan for residues in
honey, which means it is performing the required checks.

Council Directive 74/409/EEC of 22 July 1974 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States
relating to honey (2)
lays down the main Community standards for the intrinsic characteristics and
composition of the product. It is therefore up to each Member State to provide itself with the necessary
resources to monitor the implementation of these texts and the Community(cid:146)s food product labelling rules
applicable to honey.

(1) OJ L 125, 23.5.1996.
(2) OJ L 221, 12.8.1974.