WRITTEN QUESTION E-1578/02 by Astrid Lulling (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Monitoring the situation of beekeeping in the European Union.
Date: 2002-06-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: agricultural situation, apiculture, common agricultural policy, common organisation of markets, environmental impact, environmental protection, food safety, honey, import (EU), pesticide, plant health legislation, support policy

C 309 E/140

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

12.12.2002

(2002/C 309 E/164)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1578/02

by Astrid Lulling (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 June 2002)

Subject: Monitoring the situation of beekeeping in the European Union

On 13 December 2001 the European Parliament adopted a resolution concerning the Commission report
on the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 1221/97 laying down general rules for the
application of measures to improve the production and marketing of honey (1).

This resolution was a real wake-up call as regards the appalling situation of beekeepers and their hives.

The Council responded to the European Parliament’s call, for example at the Agriculture Council of
18 February 2002.

Unfortunately, the European Parliament resolution was not similarly received by the Commission.

The situation is continuing to deteriorate.

The newspaper France Soir of 7 May 2002, for example, reported that in the Grand Ouest region of
France 70 % of honey production had already been lost as a result of fungicides applied to the wheatfields.

When wheat, maize and sunflower seeds are sown they are coated in a ‘precautionary’ fungicide (Sphere,
Péris, etc.) which protects the seeds. But these poisons are subsequently dispersed in the air and kill bees
gathering pollen from early flowers. Bees that gather pollen from these flowers die.

If this continues at the same rate beekeepers believe that in two to three years’ time there will be no more
bees, which means no more pollination, so no more fruit and other crops.

However, we shall still be able to buy (poor-quality) honey outside the European Community.

What does the Commission intend to do to solve this economic, environmental and human problem, to
which the European Parliament drew our attention in its resolution of 13 December 2001?

(1) COM(2001) 70 final (cid:1) C5-0398/2001 (cid:1) 2001/2156(COS).

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(5 July 2002)

In February 2001 the Commission passed on to the Council and to Parliament its report (1) on the
implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 1221/97 laying down general rules for the application of
measures to improve the production and marketing of honey (2).

In April 2001 the Commission adopted Regulation (EC) No 704/2001 (3) amending Regulation (EC) No
2300/97 (4) on detailed rules to implement Council Regulation (EC) No 1221/97. Also in April 2001, the
Council deemed both the follow-up to the report and the simplification of
the procedures for
implementing national programmes on the production and marketing of honey to be satisfactory.

In December 2001 Parliament adopted a resolution on the February 2001 Commission report and called
on the Commission to take seven steps in support of European beekeeping:
to set up a common
organisation of markets with direct income aid and a pollination premium; to include beekeeping in the
compensatory payments scheme provided for in Council Regulation (EC) No 1259/1999 of 17 May 1999

12.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 309 E/141

establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the common agricultural policy (5); to transfer
the varroasis control measure to veterinary legislation; to grant aid for promoting quality honey; to
increase the budget for, and the share of, Community part-financing; to adopt a harmonised and flexible
approach in implementing national programmes; and to grant aid for investment in restocking material.

In February 2002 the Council noted majority Member State support for a number of the measures
proposed by the Parliament resolution and called on the Commission to expand its activities in this sector.

The budget heading allocated to honey programmes has been increased by 10 % in 2002 and the
Commission has amended the Decisions relating to the programmes accordingly. This budgetary increase
has been maintained in the preliminary draft budget for next year.

Moreover, France’s 2001/02 marketing year national programme (cid:1) which the Commission approved in
July 2001 (cid:1) provides for studies on how plant protection products affect honey quality. The 2002/03
marketing year programme includes aid for investment in restocking material.

The evaluations which Member States are required to carry out under Directive 91/414/EEC of 15 July
1991 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market (6) include assessing side effects
on bees and, if necessary, taking measures to prevent death among bees. If this is done properly, incidents
such as that referred to in the Honourable Member’s question should not happen.

The countries authorised with regard to imports of honey into the European Union are listed in Part XIV
of the Annex to Commission Decision 94/278/EC, as last amended by Decision 2002/337/EC (7).

The list comprises only countries whose plan for monitoring residues, and particularly pesticide residues,
in honey has been approved by the Commission under Decision 2000/159/EC of 8 February 2000 (8) on
the provisional approval of residue plans of third countries according to Council Directive 96/23/EC (9), as
last amended by Decision 2002/336/EC (7).

In April 2002 the Commission held several meetings with representatives from European beekeepers’
organisations and announced improvement through more uniform implementation of programmes. The
Commission is currently examining a possible measure to promote quality honey at European level.

(1) COM(2001) 70 final.
(2) OJ L 173, 1.7.1997 (Regulation amended by Regulation (EC) No 2070/98, OJ L 265, 30.9.1998).
(3) OJ L 98, 7.4.2001.
(4) OJ L 319, 21.11.1997.
(5) OJ L 160, 26.3.1999.
(6) OJ L 230, 19.8.1991.
(7) OJ L 116, 3.5.2002.
(8) OJ L 51, 24.2.2000.
(9) 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, OJ L 125, 23.5.1996.

(2002/C 309 E/165)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1600/02

by Rosa Miguélez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Imbalances in the province of Teruel (Spain)

(31 May 2002)

Aragon is a thinly-populated European region (44,8 inhabitants per km2), and the province of Teruel is
extremely thinly-populated (9,3 inhabitants per km2) and further disadvantaged by the fact that 9 148 of its
14 795 km2 lie at an altitude of over 1 000 metres, which means that a whole range of employment and
revenue-generating activities are simply unfeasible. Nonetheless, the province of Teruel makes a significant