European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council regulation on actions in the field of beekeeping (COM(2004) 30 — C5-0052/2004 — 2004/0003(CNS))
Date: 2004-04-22
Institutions: Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, European Parliament
Subjects: agricultural production, apiculture, honey, marketing, production improvement

30.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 104 E/941

TEXTS ADOPTED

Thursday 22 April 2004

P5_TA(2004)0351

Beekeeping *

European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council regulation on actions in
the field of beekeeping (COM(2004) 30 (cid:1) C5-0052/2004 (cid:1) 2004/0003(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

(cid:1) having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2004) 30) (1),

(cid:1) having regard to Articles 36 and 37 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parlia-

ment (C5-0052/2004),

(cid:1) having regard to Rule 67 of its Rules of Procedure,

(cid:1) having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (A5-0232/

2004),

1.

Approves the Commission proposal as amended;

Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 250(2) of the EC

2.
Treaty;

3.

Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

Calls for initiation of the conciliation procedure under the Joint Declaration of 4 March 1975 if the

4.
Council intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to amend the Commission proposal sub-

5.
stantially;

6.

Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission.

TEXT PROPOSED
BY THE COMMISSION

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

Amendment 1
Recital 5a (new)

(5a)
In implementing Article 26a of Directive 2001/18/
EC (1), Member States should take legislative measures on
the coexistence of genetically modified, conventional and
organic crops that also allow beekeepers to manufacture
honey with a pollution level below the threshold value of
0,9 %.

(1) Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 12 March 2001 on the deliberate release into the
environement of genetically modified organisms and repealing
Council Directive 90/220/EEC (OJ L 106, 17.4.2001, p. 1, last
amended by Regulation (EC) No 1830/2003 (OJ L 268,
18.10.2003, p. 24)).

(1) Not yet published in the OJ.

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30.4.2004

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TEXT PROPOSED
BY THE COMMISSION

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

Amendment 2
Recital 5b (new)

(5b) There continues to be an imbalance between supply
and demand in the market in honey within the Community
and the level of self-sufficiency has fallen still further in the
last three years, as a result of which the price of honey in the
European Union depends directly on the world price, which is
itself very unstable.

Amendment 3
Recital 5c (new)

(5c) Honey is a high-quality agricultural product and
remains one of the few products listed in Annex I to the
Treaty establishing the European Community neither to
benefit from a comprehensive regulatory and direct support
framework under the CAP nor to enjoy sufficient differenti-
ation in respect of imported honeys.

Amendment 4
Recital 5d (new)

(5d) The Member States of the European Union have a sub-
stantial beekeeping tradition and some are large producers of
honey, which should be taken into account in the implemen-
tation of this Regulation, not least in terms of the budget
allocated thereto.

Amendment 5
Recital 6

(6)
In view of the spread of varroasis in several Member
States in recent years and the problems which this disease
causes for honey production, action by the Community is
necessary as varroasis cannot be completely eradicated and
treatment with approved products is recommended.

(6)
In view of the spread of varroasis in several Member
States in recent years and the effects of this disease on honey
production, action by the Community is necessary as varroasis
cannot be completely eradicated and treatment with approved
products is recommended.

Amendment 6
Recital 6a (new)

(6a) Bearing in mind on the one hand the European Parlia-
ment’s resolution of 9 October 2003 on the difficulties faced
by the European beekeeping sector (1), which officially recog-
nises the exceptional decline in the bee population in recent
years, and on the other hand Regulation (EC) 1398/2003 (2),
which prohibits the import of packets of bees, and the current
shortage of biological material production units, measures
need to be introduced in support of the restoration and devel-
opment of the Community’s bee population.

(1) P5_TA(2003)0430.
(2) OJ L 198, 6.8.2003, p. 3.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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TEXT PROPOSED
BY THE COMMISSION

Thursday 22 April 2004

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

Amendment 7

Recital 6b (new)

(6b) Quality control checks on honey play a major part in
enabling, on the one hand, improvement of the production
and marketing of honey and, on the other, prevention of the
marketing of honey that fails to meet the European quality
criteria principally laid down in Council Directive 2001/110/
EC of 20 December 2001 relating to honey (1). These checks
make for stabilisation of the market and of prices.

(1) OJ L 10, 12.1.2002, p. 47.

Amendment 8

Recital 7

(7) Given these circumstances and in order to improve the
production and marketing of apiculture products in the Com-
munity, national programmes should be drawn up every three
years comprising technical assistance, control of varroasis,
rationalisation of transhumance, management of the restock-
ing of hives in the Community, and cooperation on research
programmes on beekeeping and apiculture products.

(7) Given these circumstances and in order to improve the
production and marketing of apiculture products in the Com-
munity, national programmes should be drawn up every three
years and reviewable annually, and should comprise:

(a) technical assistance to beekeepers and groupings of bee-

keepers;

(b) control of varroasis and its corollaries;

(c) rationalisation of transhumance;

(d) measures to support the restoration and development of

the Community’s bee population;

(e) cooperation with specialised bodies for the implemen-
tation of applied research programmes in the field of
improving the bee population and the quality of honey
and apiculture products;

(f) measures in support of honey analysis laboratories;

(g) any other measure apt to improve the production and

marketing of honey and apiculture products.

Amendment 9

Recital 8

(8)
In order to supplement the statistical data on beekeeping,
Member States should carry out studies on the structure of the
sector, covering production, marketing and price formation.

(8)
In order to supplement the statistical data on beekeeping,
Member States should carry out detailed studies on the struc-
ture of the sector, covering production, marketing and price
formation.

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TEXT PROPOSED
BY THE COMMISSION

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

Amendment 10

Article 1, paragraph 1, subparagraph 2

To this end, each Member State may draw up a national pro-
gramme for a period of three years, hereinafter referred to as
the ‘apiculture programme’.

To this end, each Member State must draw up a national pro-
gramme for a period of three years, reviewable annually, here-
inafter referred to as the ‘apiculture programme’.

Amendment 11

Article 2, paragraph 1

The measures which may be included in the apiculture pro-
gramme shall be the following:

The measures which may be included in the apiculture pro-
gramme shall be the following:

(a)

technical assistance to beekeepers and groupings of bee-
keepers,

(a)

technical assistance to beekeepers and groupings of bee-
keepers,

(b) control of varroasis,

(b) control of varroasis and its corollaries,

(c)

rationalisation of transhumance,

(c)

rationalisation of transhumance,

(d) measures to support the restocking of hives in the Com-

(d) measures to support the restoration and development of

munity,

the Community’s bee population,

(e)

cooperation with specialised bodies for the implementation
of applied research programmes in the field of beekeeping
and apiculture products.

(e)

cooperation with specialised bodies for the implementation
of applied research programmes in the field of improving
the bee population and the quality of honey and apicul-
ture products,

(ea) measures in support of honey analysis laboratories,

(eb)

any other measure apt to improve the production and

marketing of honey and apiculture products.

Amendment 12

Article 3

To be eligible for the part-financing provided for in Arti-
cle 4(2), Member States shall carry out a study of the produc-
tion and marketing structure in the beekeeping sector in their
territory. This study shall be communicated with the apiculture
programme.

To be eligible for the part-financing provided for in Arti-
cle 4(2), Member States must carry out a detailed study of the
production and marketing structure in the beekeeping sector in
their territory. This study shall be communicated with the api-
culture programme.

Amendment 13

Article 4, paragraph 2

The Community shall provide part-financing for the api-
the expenditure

2.
culture programmes equivalent
borne by Member States.

to 50 % of

The Community shall provide part-financing for the api-
the expenditure

2.
culture programmes equivalent
borne by Member States.

to 75 % of