REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the implementation of apiculture programmes
Date: 2023-01-13
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, EU aid, EU financing, agricultural production, aid to agriculture, apiculture, common organisation of markets, honey, insect

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 13.1.2023  COM(2023) 11 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the implementation of apiculture programmes  
 
 
Contents 

1. 

2. 

3. 

3.1 

3.2 

4. 

4.1 

4.2 

4.3 

4.4 

4.5 

5. 

6. 

7. 

INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 2 

METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................................................. 3 

OVERVIEW OF THE EU APICULTURE SECTOR ................................................................... 3 

Production and prices .................................................................................................................. 3 

Trade ................................................................................................................................................... 4 

IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL APICULTURE PROGRAMMES.............................. 5 

Legal basis ......................................................................................................................................... 5 

Objectives and measures ............................................................................................................. 6 

EU budget for national apiculture programmes and usage rate .................................. 7 

Allocation of the EU contribution per Member State ....................................................... 8 

Expenditure incurred per type of measure .......................................................................... 9 

METHODS USED TO DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF BEEHIVES ............................... 11 

APICULTURE IN THE CAP STRATEGIC PLANS AFTER 2022 ....................................... 12 

CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................. 13 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. 

INTRODUCTION 

The  importance  of  the  apiculture  sector  goes  beyond  its  small  size  when  compared  to  other 
agricultural sectors. It makes an invaluable contribution to pollinating crops, fruits and other flora in 
addition  to  providing  honey  and  other  apiculture  products.  The  EU’s  Common  Agriculture  Policy 
(CAP) has several tools to support the apiculture sector, one being the apiculture programmes, set out 
in Regulation (EU) No 1308/20131 (the CMO). 

Under  Article 225(a)  of  the  CMO,  the  Commission  has  to  present  a  report  to  the  European 
Parliament  and  the  Council  every  three  years  on  implementation  of  the  measures  concerning  the 
apiculture  sector  as  set  out  in  Articles  55,  56  and  57.  The  report  must  also  include  the  latest 
developments on beehive identification systems. This report meets the requirement of Article 225(a). 

The  report  covers  implementation  of  the  national  apiculture  programmes  for  2020-2022,  drawn  up 
for apiculture years 2020-2022, which run from 1 August 2019 to 31 July 2022, and as notified to the 
Commission by 15 March 2019. These programmes were subsequently  modified in 2021 to extend 
them  until  31 December  2022  as  required  by  Article 55(1)  of  the  CMO  and  as  amended  by  the 
transitional regulation.2 The modification also increased the EU's annual budgetary allocation from 
EUR 40 million  to  EUR 60 million3  in  2021. Their  extension  allows for a  seamless  transition  from 
the current to the future interventions included in the CAP strategic plans. The report does not cover 
implementation during the extended apiculture year from 1 August 2021 to 31 December 2022. The 
full report on implementation during the extended year can only be prepared at the end of 2023 since 
payments to beneficiaries extend until 15 October 2023. 

This is the eighth report issued by the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on 
implementation  of the apiculture programmes. The report does not  cover  all  aspects  of beekeeping 
but focuses on implementation of apiculture programmes. It does however provide a short overview 
of the apiculture sector in the EU and information on EU support to the apiculture sector under the 
future CAP strategic plans. 

The EU has provided direct support to the beekeeping sector since 19974. It gives Member States the 
option  to  draw  up  national  programmes  for  their  apiculture  sector.  The  objective  of  these 
programmes is to improve the general conditions for producing and marketing apiculture products: 
honey, royal jelly, pollen, propolis and beeswax. 

1 Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a common organisation of 
the markets in agricultural products OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671. 
2 Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 December 2020 laying down certain 
transitional provisions for support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and from the 
European  Agricultural  Guarantee  Fund  (EAGF)  in  the  years  2021  and  2022  and  amending  Regulations  (EU) 
No 1305/2013, (EU) No 1306/2013 and (EU) No 1307/2013 as regards resources and application in the years 2021 and 
2022 and Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 as regards resources and the distribution of such support in respect of the years 
2021 and 2022 OJ L 437, 28.12.2020, p. 1. 
3 Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework 
for  the  years  2021  to  2027,  OJ  L  433  I, 22.12.2020,  p. 11. The  total  amount  provided  for  in  the  multiannual  financial 
framework in respect of the European Agricultural Guarantee fund includes an increase to EUR 60 million per year for 
apiculture programmes. 
4  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No 1221/97  of  25 June  1997  laying  down  general  rules  for  the  application  of  measures  to 
improve the production and marketing of honey, OJ L 173, 1.7.97, p. 1. 

2 

 
 
                                                           
The apiculture programmes are co-financed by the European Union at a 50% rate and  they run for 
three  years.  The  programmes  are  voluntary  but  all  Member  States  have  chosen  to  introduce  them, 
showing the strong interest of Member States and the needs of the sector. As from 2023, the sector 
will continue to receive support under mandatory apiculture interventions that are part of the recently 
approved  CAP  strategic  plans.  Member  States  may  also  increase  the  rate  of  co-financing  from  a 
minimum of 50% to a maximum of 70%. 

2.  METHODOLOGY 

This report is based on the following sources of information: 

- 

- 

Information  notified  by  the  Member  States  under  Commission  Delegated  Regulation  (EU) 
2015/1366 with regard to aid in the apiculture sector5, including the number of beehives in their 
territories. 

Information  notified  by  the  Member  States  under  Commission  Implementing  Regulation  (EU) 
2015/1368  with  regard  to  aid  in  the  apiculture  sector6,  including  the  annual  implementation 
reports, laid down in  Article 10 of that Regulation. Those annual reports include a summary of 
the  expenditure  incurred  in  euro  during  the  apiculture  year,  broken  down  by  measure,  and  the 
results  based  on  performance  indicators  for  each  implemented  measure.  However,  these 
indicators  are  not  harmonised  at  EU  level  and  have  not  been  used  to  draw  conclusions  in  the 
context of this report. 

-  Data  on  honey  production  and  international  trade  from  Eurostat7,  UN  Comtrade8  and  the  Food 

and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)9. 

Detailed figures and summary tables on the honey market and on the national apiculture programmes 
are available on the Commission's Europa website10. 

3. 

OVERVIEW OF THE EU APICULTURE SECTOR 

3.1  Production and prices 

The  latest  available  data  on  production  and  prices  in  the  EU  cover  2017  and  2018,  reported  by 
Member  States  in  2019  under  their  national  apiculture  programmes  for  2020-2022.  The  Member 
States should report similar market data for 2021 and 2022 in 202311. 

5 Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/1366 of 11 May 2015 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of 
the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to aid in the apiculture sector, OJ L 211, 8.8.2015, p. 3-6. 
6  Commission  Implementing  Regulation  (EU)  2015/1368  of  6 August  2015  laying  down  rules  for  the  application  of 
Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to aid in the apiculture sector, 
OJ L 211, 8.8.2015, p. 9-16. 
7 https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat. 
8 https://comtrade.un.org/. 
9 http://www.fao.org/home/en/. 
10 https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/animals-and-animal-products/animal-products/honey_en   
11In 
requirements 
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1475 of  6  September  2022 

laying  down  detailed 

accordance 

Article 

of 
for 

down 

15(3) 

rules 

with 

laid 

the 

in 

3 

 
 
                                                           
Production 

The  data  notified  in  2019  under  the  2020-2022  programmes  for  2018  show  that  there  were 
approximately 17.3 million hives in the EU managed by 615 058 beekeepers. Since then, the number 
of beehives has grown to 18.9 million in 2020 and 20 million hives in 2021. The latest 2018 data on 
the number of beekeepers also indicate a substantial increase since 2016, when there were 568 194 
beekeepers  reported  for  the  2017-2019  programmes.  Note,  however,  that  there  is  no  harmonised 
method to define beekeepers, nor to estimate the number of beekeepers, so a change in that number 
may not necessarily reflect a general trend in the sector. 

In the absence of production figures reported by Member States since 2018, which were provided in 
the previous report of 17 December 201912, this report draws on data from the  FAO. According to 
this data, the European Union produced 217 864 tonnes of honey in 2020, making the EU the second 
largest honey producer in the world, after China with 458 100 tonnes. Since 2018, EU production has 
fallen  by  around  16%  from  258 610  tonnes.  The  EU  does  not  produce  enough  honey  to  cover 
demand.  In  2020,  it  was  around  60%  self-sufficient13,  i.e.  roughly  the  same  level  as  in  2018.  The 
main supplier for imported honey in 2020 was Ukraine (31% of imports) followed by China (21% of 
imports). 

Prices 

According to the latest available data reported by Member States for 2018, the EU average price for 
multi-floral  honey  was  EUR 6.46/kg  at  the  site  of  production  and  EUR 3.79/kg  for  sale  in  bulk  at 
wholesalers.  Prices  for  honey  vary  greatly  between  Member  States,  depending  on  the  quality  and 
point  of  sale.  Compared  to  the  previous  figures  provided  for  2015,  the  average  price  has  barely 
changed.  However,  the  average  production  cost  has  increased  from  EUR 3.21/kg  in  2015  to 
EUR 3.90/kg in 2018, possibly leaving a smaller profit margin per kg of honey produced. Since the 
Member  States  do  not  report  the  volumes  of  honey  sold  in  bulk  and  at  site  of  production,  it  is 
difficult to calculate the resulting profit margin for producers.  

3.2  Trade14 

Imports 

The EU is only 60% self-sufficient in honey. In 2021, the EU imported 173 403 tonnes of honey for 
a  total  value  of  EUR 406.1  million.  The  EU  is  the  second  largest  importer  of  honey  in  the  world, 
after North America, and Ukraine is its main supplier. Since 2019, EU imports from Ukraine have 
increased from 44 523 tonnes in 2019 to 53 777 tonnes in 2021. Over the same period, imports from 
China,  the  EU’s  second  largest  supplier,  have  also  increased  from  45 108  to  48 109  tonnes,  while 
imports  from  the  third  and  fourth  suppliers,  Argentina  and  Mexico,  fell  from  21 269  tonnes  and 
18 205 tonnes respectively in 2019, to 14 396 and 15 486 tonnes in 2021. 

implementation of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the evaluation 
of the CAP Strategic Plans and the provision of information for monitoring and evaluation OJ L 232, 7.9.2022, p. 8. 
12 COM_COM(2019)0635_EN.pdf (europa.eu) 
13 Self-sufficiency rate = EU production/(production+imports-exports). 
14 Source of trade data: Eurostat Comext, https://trade.ec.europa.eu/tradehelp/statistics 

4 

 
 
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Honey imported from non-EU countries is usually cheaper than honey produced in the EU, and for 
2021, the average import price was EUR 2.34/kg. 

Exports 

The  volume  of  EU  exports  are  much  lower  when  compared  to  imports.  In  2021,  the  EU  exported 
25 421  tonnes  of  honey  for  a  total  value  of  EUR 146.4  million,  representing  around  15%  of  EU 
imports in volume. The main markets for EU honey are United Kingdom, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, 
the USA and Japan. In 2021, the average export price was EUR 5.76/kg.  

Figure 1: Average prices for honey imported to and exported from the EU 

7,00

6,00

5,00

4,00

3,00

2,00

1,00

0,00

g
K
/
€

Average Import Price

Average Export Price

Source : Eurostat Comext

2018

2,33

5,40

2019

2,13

5,26

2020

2,06

5,21

2021

2,34

5,76

4. 

IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL APICULTURE PROGRAMMES 

Legal basis 

4.1 
The  legal  basis  for  national  apiculture  programmes  2020-2022  is  Articles  55  to  57  of  the  CMO, 
supplemented by: 

-  Commission  Delegated  Regulation  (EU)  2015/1366,  amended  by  Commission  Delegated 

Regulation (EU) 2021/58015 and 

-  Commission  Implementing  Regulation  (EU)  2015/1368,  amended  by  Commission  Delegated 

Regulation (EU) 2021/16616. 

15  Commission  Delegated  Regulation  (EU)  2021/580  of  1 February  2021  amending  Delegated  Regulation  (EU) 
2015/1366 as regards the basis for allocating the financial contribution in the apiculture sector, OJ L 124, 12.4.2021, p. 1. 
16 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/166 of 10 February 2021 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 
2015/1368 as regards the extension of the national programmes in the apiculture sector, OJ L 48, 11.2.2021, p. 1. 

5 

 
 
 
                                                           
 
 
The  programmes  for  apiculture  years  2020-2022  and  their  financing  were  approved  through 
Commission  Implementing  Decision  (EU)  2019/974  of  12 June  201917.  These  programmes  were 
amended  in  2021  to  extend  them  until  the  end  of  2022  and  to  increase  the  annual  budget  from 
EUR 40 million to EUR 60 million (representing the EU's contribution). Amended programmes were 
approved through Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/974 of 9 June 202118. 

4.2  Objectives and measures 

The  main  objective  of  the  programmes  is  to  improve  the  general  conditions  for  producing  and 
marketing  apiculture  products  in  the  EU.  The  2013  CAP  reform  brought  in  changes  to  the 
programmes with the aim of adapting eligible measures to the needs of the sector and of improving 
the allocation of the EU budget by improving the methods used by the Member States to estimate the 
number of beehives on their territories. The eligible measures for the 2020-2022 programmes follow 
on from the same measures available for the 2017-2019 programmes and are described below. 

 (a)  Technical  assistance  to  beekeepers  and  beekeepers’  organisations.  Member  States  use  this 
measure  to  fund  training,  organise  courses  and  print  educational  brochures,  as  well  as  to  purchase 
technical  equipment  for  the  production  and  primary  processing  of  honey  and  to  provide  specific 
support to young beekeepers. 

 (b) Combating beehive invaders and diseases, particularly varroasis. The scope of this measure 
was already extended in the previous programme to combat other beehive invaders and diseases, in 
addition to varroasis, such as the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) and the Small Hive Beetle (Aethina 
tumida).  However,  most  programmes  still  focus  on  combating  varroasis  by  supporting  actions  to 
decrease the parasitic load and by informing beekeepers of the need to and methods of combating the 
varroa mite.  

(c) Rationalisation of transhumance. Support for actions to assist the management of transhumance 
such as work on identification of beehives and frames, managing a transhumance register, investing 
in material and equipment facilitating transhumance and mapping flower varieties. 

(d)  Measures  to  support  laboratories  for  the  analysis  of  apiculture  products  with  the  aim  of 
helping  beekeepers  to  market  and  increase  the  value  of  their  products.  The  scope  of  this 
measure  (though  mainly  used  to  fund  analyses  of  the  physico-chemical  properties  of  honey)  also 
covers other apiculture products19 such as royal jelly, pollen, propolis or beeswax. This information 
enables beekeepers to better market and increase the value of their products. 

17 Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/974 of 12 June 2019 approving the national programmes to improve 
the  production  and  marketing  of  apiculture  products  submitted  by  the  Member  States  under  Regulation  (EU) 
No 1308/2013  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  (notified  under  document  C(2019)  4177)  OJ  L  157, 
14.6.2019, p. 28. 
18 Commission Implementing  Decision (EU) 2021/974 of 9 June 2021 approving the amended national programmes to 
improve  the  production  and  marketing  of  apiculture  products  submitted  by  the  Member  States  under  Regulation  (EU) 
No 1308/2013  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  (notified  under  document  C(2021)  4021),  OJ  L  215, 
17.6.2021, p. 37. 
19 The apiculture products covered by the apiculture programmes are listed in Part XXII of Annex I to Regulation (EU) 
No 1308/2013 and are honey, royal jelly, propolis, pollen and beeswax. 

6 

 
 
                                                           
(e)  Measures  to  support  the  restocking  beehives.  The  measure  provides  assistance  to  cover  bee 
losses, thereby avoiding drops in production. The funding is mainly used to purchase bee colonies, 
queens or new hives and to promote the production of queen bees, particularly indigenous breeds. 

(f)  Cooperation  with  specialised  bodies  for  the 
implementation  of  applied  research 
programmes in the field of beekeeping and apiculture products. This enables Member States to 
fund specific research projects aimed at improving beekeeping, production or  the quality of honey, 
and to disseminate the results of such projects. 

(g) Market monitoring. This support funds market monitoring of apiculture products and prices to 
help improve the conditions of production and support national strategies for monitoring the market. 

(h) Enhancement of product quality with a view to exploiting the potential of products on the 
market.  This  funds  support  actions  to  tap  the  market  potential  of  honey  and  other  apiculture 
products. 

4.3  EU budget for national apiculture programmes and usage rate 

EU  funds  allocated  to  the  apiculture  sector  increased  from  EUR 36  million  per  year  for  the  2017-
2019 apiculture programmes to EUR 40 million20 per year under the 2020-2022 programmes. These 
were  amended  in  2021  to  extend  their  duration  and  increase  the  budgetary  allocation  to  EUR 60 
million as from 2021. 

The EU's contribution to apiculture programmes corresponds to 50% of the expenditure borne by the 
Member States. For the apiculture years 2020-2022, funding of EUR 318.9 million21 was available to 
national apiculture programmes in the EU, 48% more than the funding available for the period 2017-
2019. Half of this represents the EU contribution and the other half the Member States’ co-financing. 

Although the funding was not fully utilised, the absorption rate was still relatively high in both 2019 
and 2020 but fell substantially in 2021. This drop in the usage rate in 2021 can be explained by the 
substantial increase in budgetary allocation and the somewhat late amendment to the programmes to 
absorb  these  funds,  as  they  were  notified  in  March  2021  and  approved  in  June  2021.  Although 
Member  States  were  advised  of  the  upcoming  changes  in  2020  and  encouraged  to  maximise  the 
uptake  of  funds  in  2021,  several  Member  States  had  difficulties  in  absorbing  the  increased  funds, 
particularly those that received significantly higher funding than in 2019. In fact, while in 2020, 21 
Member States had an absorption rate of 80% or more and only 6 scored below 80%; in 2021, only 
11  Member  States  had  an  absorption  rate  of  80%  or  more  and  16  were  below  80%.  Table  1 
summarises the EU funding and execution rate for apiculture programmes in 2020-2022 and in 2019 
apiculture  year  (for  which  data  was  not  available  at  the  time  of  publication  of  the  last  report  on 
17 December 2019). 

20 Total EU contribution for the EU-28, including the United Kingdom. 
21 Total amount for the EU-27, excluding the UK. 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
2023 financial 
year for 
apiculture 
interventions 
under the CAP 
Strategic Plans 
Jan – Oct 2023 
60 000 00023 
Will be notified 
by 15 June 2024 

Table 1: EU funding and execution rate for apiculture programmes 

EU funds 
available for 

2019 
apiculture 
year 
2017-2019 
programmes 

2020 
apiculture 
year  
2020-2022 
programmes 

2021 
apiculture 
year  
2020-2022 
programmes 

2022 
apiculture 
year  
2020-2022 
programmes 

36 000 000 
33 757 308 

39 441 41022  60 000 000 
35 947 262 

in EUR 
Amount of EU 
funds used by 
Member States in 
EUR* 
Execution rate 
*Source: Member States’ Annual Implementation Reports submitted in accordance with Article 10 of 
Regulation (EU) 2015/1368. 

notified by 
31 December 
2023 

46 772 973  Will be 

60 000 000 

94%  

91% 

78% 

4.4  Allocation of the EU contribution per Member State 

The  rules  for  calculating  the  allocation  of  EU  contributions  to  the  apiculture  programmes  as  laid 
down in Article 4 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/1366 are based on the proportion 
of  beehives  notified  by  each  Member  State  participating  in  the  programme,  together  with  a  set 
minimum EU contribution of EUR 25 000 per programme. However, if a Member State requests less 
than  its  entitlement  on  the  basis  of  its  proportion  of  beehives,  the  remaining  EU  funding  may  be 
distributed to other Member States requesting more than their theoretical share of the funding. 

In accordance with Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2015/1366, the allocation of EU funds for the 2020-
2022 apiculture programmes notified in 2019 was  based on the number of beehives communicated 
by  Member  States  in  2017  and  2018.  From  2021  onwards,  the  increased  EU  contributions  were 
allocated  as  set  out  in  Annex  10  to  the  CAP  Strategic  Plan  Regulation  (Regulation  (EU) 
2021/2115)24.  These  allocations  were  calculated  on  the  basis  of  the  number  of  beehives 
communicated in 2013 by the Member States in their apiculture programmes for 2014-2016, adjusted 
by the applications for funding in the 2017-2019 programming period.25 

22 EU contribution for EU 27 excluding the UK. 
23 The budget for the 2023 financial year may also be used for payment of measures implemented from 1 August 2022 to 
31 December 2022, as explained in section 6. 
24 Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 December 2021 establishing rules on 
support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the common agricultural policy (CAP strategic plans) 
and  financed  by  the  European  Agricultural  Guarantee  Fund  (EAGF)  and  by  the  European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural 
Development  (EAFRD)  and  repealing  Regulations  (EU)  No 1305/2013  and  (EU)  No 1307/2013,  OJ  L  435  6.12.2021, 
p. 1. 
25 Article 1 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/580. 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
Figure 2: Allocation of the EU contribution per Member State for the 2020-2022 apiculture years 

9
1
4
6

.

3
6
1
6

.

2
8
0
6

.

7
6
1
5

.

5
2
0
5

.

1
7
2
4

.

10.000

0
6
5
9

.

s
o
r
u
E

d
n
a
s
u
o
h
T

9.000

8.000

7.000

6.000

5.000

4.000

3.000

2.000

1.000

0

Apiculture year 2020

Apiculture year 2021 and beyond

1
9
7
2

.

4
0
2
2

.

2
2
1
2

.

4
6
0
2

.

3
1
9
1

.

7
7
4
1

.

0
0
0
1

.

9
4
6

9
8
5

0
5
5

3
2
4

9
2
3

6
9
2

5
9
2

6
9
1

0
7
1

0
4
1

2
6

1
3

4
1

ES

FR

EL

RO

IT

PL HU DE

PT

CZ

BG HR

AT

SK

SI

SE

LT

BE

LV

DK NL

FI

CY

EE

IE

LU MT

Source:  Commission  Implementing  Decision  (EU)  2019/974  (for  2020)  and  Commission 
Implementing Decision 2021/974 (for 2021 and 2022). 

4.5  Expenditure incurred per type of measure 

Under Article 10 of Regulation 2015/1368, Member States are required to provide by 15 March each 
year  an  annual  implementation  report  covering  the  previous  apiculture  year.  The  first  two  annual 
reports,  corresponding  to  the  202026  and  202127  apiculture  years,  were  notified  in  2021  and  2022 
respectively.  The  breakdown  of  expenditure  per  type  of  measure  for  the  2021  apiculture  year  is 
shown  in  the  pie  chart  below  (Figure  3).  For  comparison,  Figure  4  gives  a  similar  breakdown  per 
type  of  measure  for  the  2020  apiculture  year,  showing  that  the  overall  distribution,  measured  as  a 
percentage, was similar. 

In 2021, two measures (technical assistance and combating beehive invaders) accounted for 54% 
of the available funding. In 2020, similar to previous years, the combined rate for these measures was 
close  to  60%.  This  reflects  the  continuous  need  for  upskilling  of  beekeepers  and  investment  in 
beekeeping equipment supported under measure A (technical assistance) and beekeeping practices to 
fight  against  diseases  and  beehives’  invaders  supported  under  measure  B  (combating  beehive 
invaders and diseases). 

Similar  to  previous  years,  the  next  two  most  popular  measures  were  rationalisation  of 
transhumance  and  restocking  of  beehives,  accounting  for  40%  of  total  expenditure  across  the 
Member  States  in  2021  and  34%  in  2020.  In  several  Member  States,  transhumance  is  an  essential 
beekeeping  practice,  necessary  to  cover  the  nutritional  needs  of  honeybees  during  the  whole 
beekeeping season and provide pollination services. 

26 Timeframe 1 August 2019 to 31 July 2020. 
27 Timeframe 1 August 2020 to 31 July 2021. 

9 

 
 
 
                                                           
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Measures to conduct applied research and analysis of honey came in at 5th and 6th place in terms 
of support, receiving 2.7% and 2.4% of the funding available in 2021. 

The  measures  to  support  product  improvement  and  market  monitoring,  which  were  first 
introduced in the 2017-2019 programme, together received less than 2% of funding both in 2020 and 
2021. 

Figure 3: Expenditure in percentage per measure during apiculture year 2021 

D - Analysis of 
apiculture 
products
2,4%

E - Restocking 
of hives
15,9%

F - Applied 
research
2,7%

G - Market 
monitoring
0,1%

H - Product 
improvement
1,2%

A - Technical 
assistance
26,5%

C - Rationalisation 
of transhumance
24,2%

B - Combatting 
beehive invaders
27,1%

Source: Member States’ annual implementation report for 2021. 

Figure 4: Expenditure in percentage per measure during apiculture year 2020 

E - Restocking of 
hives
18,2%

F - Applied 
research
2,5%

G - Market 
monitoring
0,2%

H - Product 
improvement
1,2%

A - Technical 
assistance
29,9%

D - Analysis of 
apiculture 
products
2,5%

C - Rationalisation 
of transhumance
16,2%

B - Combatting 
beehive invaders
29,3%

Source: Member States’ annual implementation report for 2020. 

10 

 
 
 
 
5.  METHODS USED TO DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF BEEHIVES 

Under Article 3 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/1366,  as of 2017, Member States 
submitting apiculture programmes must notify to the Commission each year the number of beehives 
in  their  territory  that  are  ready  for  wintering.  Furthermore,  Member  States  were  required  under 
Article  2  of  said  Regulation  to  have  a  reliable  method  to  determine  this  number,  which  had  to  be 
described in their apiculture programmes. This Delegated Regulation was adopted in 2015, based on 
the empowerment granted under Article 56(1)(b) of the CMO, and laid down the basis for allocating 
the EU’s financial contribution to the Member States’ apiculture programmes, based on the number 
of beehives.  

It also stipulated the definition of a beehive as ‘… the unit containing a honeybee colony used for the 
production of honey, other apiculture products or honeybee breeding material, and all the elements 
necessary for its survival’.  

Although the annual funding to the Member States in the CAP strategic plans will no longer be based 
on the number of notified beehives, it is still important to know the number of beehives in Member 
States.  This  information  is  necessary  to  be  able  to  follow  developments  in  the  sector,  evaluate  the 
impact  of  support  as  well  as  to  keep  European  citizens  informed.  Under  the  future  CAP  plans  in 
accordance  with  Articles  36  to  38  of  Regulation  (EU)  2022/12628,  Member  States  are  required  to 
include  the  description  of  a  reliable  method  for  calculating  the  number  of  beehives  ready  for 
wintering in their strategic plan and to notify the number of beehives by the 15 June each year. These 
calculation  methods  reported  by  Member  States  under  both  the  2020-2022  programmes  and  the 
strategic  plans  continue  relatively  unchanged  from  the  first  reported  methods  in  the  2017-2019 
apiculture programmes, described in the previous report of 17 December 2019.  

As there was no harmonised rule governing these aspects before the application of that delegated act, 
the numbers of beehives notified before its application in 2017 cannot be directly compared with the 
number  of  beehives  notified  after 15 March  2017.  Nevertheless,  the  long-term  historical  trend 
indicates that the number of beehives in the European Union has increased year on year as shown in 
Figure 5. This positive trend can be seen in almost all Member States. 

28Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/126 of 7 December 2021 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of 
the European Parliament and of the Council  with additional requirements for certain types of intervention specified by 
Member States in their CAP Strategic Plans for the period 2023 to 2027 under that Regulation as  well as rules on the 
ratio for the good agricultural and environmental condition (GAEC) standard 1, OJ L 20, 31.1.2022, p. 52. 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
 
Figure 5: Evolution of the number of beehives in the EU in thousands  

 3.500

 3.000

 2.500

 2.000

 1.500

 1.000

 500

 -

3
5
9
2

.

3
5
3
2

.

3
8
1
2

.

3
1
0
2

.

2019

2020

2021

8
0
8
1

.

7
1
7
1

.

7
0
2
1

.

25.000

20.000

15.000

10.000

5.000

16.966

16.415

17.333

18.214

18.930

20.058

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2
8
9

8
3
8

8
5
7

5
9
6

0
6
4

6
5
4

4
4
3

3
1
2

6
1
2

9
7
1

0
4
1

4
0
1

6
8

2
8

8
7

4
7

5
5

0
5

6

7

ES RO EL PL FR IT HU DE BG PT CZ HR AT SK SI

LT SE DK LV FI BE NL IE CY EE MT LU

Source: Member States’ annual notification of the numbers of beehives ready for wintering in their 
territory. 

6. 

APICULTURE IN THE CAP STRATEGIC PLANS AFTER 2022 

As  from  2023,  support  to  the  apiculture  sector  will  be  granted  through  apiculture  interventions 
included in  the national  CAP  strategic plans. While under the CMO,  it was  voluntary  for Member 
States to implement apiculture programmes, as of 2023 they will be mandatory. Including apiculture 
in  the  CAP  plans  will  increase  the  visibility  of  the  sector  and  ensure  that  its  contribution  to  the 
overall objectives of the common agricultural policy is taken into account. 

Funding for apiculture interventions, as set out in Annex X to the CAP Strategic Plan Regulation will 
remain  unchanged  from  2023  to  2025,  at  EUR 60 million  per  financial  year.  The  budget  for  2023 
will cater for both the apiculture interventions implemented under the strategic plans (and paid over 
the  period  1 January  2023  to  15 October  2023)  and  the  apiculture  measures  implemented  from 
1 August 2022 to 31 December 2022 under the current apiculture programmes (and paid during the 
period  16 October  2022  to  15 October  2023).  Similarly,  the  financial  envelopes  for  the  further 
financial  years  will  cover  expenditure  for  the  apiculture  interventions  implemented  under  the 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Strategic Plans as well as any possible residual expenditure for the apiculture measures implemented 
under the current apiculture programmes. A number of Member States will indeed make use of the 
2023 financial allocation for the payment of measures implemented during the last 5 months of 2022 
as signalled in their Strategic Plans. Another change introduced in the Strategic Plans allows Member 
States  to  increase  their  co-financing  rate  from  the  minimum  obligatory  50%  up  to  70%  to  further 
enhance  their  budget.  Three  Member  States  (BG,  IT  and  LU)  have  chosen  to  do  so;  the  others 
continue with the obligatory minimum co-financing rate of 50%. 

In setting up their apiculture interventions from 2023-2027 under the strategic plan, Member States 
have  to  pursue  at  least  one  of  the  specific  objectives  of  the  CAP  (Article 6(1)  of  Regulation  (EU) 
2021/2115). 

Similar  to  current  programmes,  support  for  apiculture  will  be  provided  through  a  number  of 
interventions  drawn  up  by  Member  States  in  collaboration  with  representatives  of  organisations  in 
the beekeeping field. Member States can choose from seven types of interventions in Article 55 of 
Regulation (EU) 2021/2115, listed below, which carry over from previous measures under the CMO 
Regulation and further broadens the scope of the support provided. These are: 

a)  advisory  services,  technical  assistance,  training,  information  and  exchange  of  best  practices, 
including through networking, for beekeepers and beekeepers’ organisations; 

b) investments in tangible and intangible assets, as well as other actions, including for:  

i) 
ii) 

iii) 
iv) 

combatting beehive invaders and diseases, in particular varroasis;  
preventing  damage  caused  by  adverse  climatic  events  and  promoting  the 
development  and  use  of  management  practices  adapted  to  changing  climate 
conditions; 
restocking of beehives in the Union, including bee breeding;  
rationalising transhumance;  

c) actions  to  support laboratories for the analysis of apiculture products,  bee losses or productivity 
drops, and substances potentially toxic to bees;  

d)  actions  to  preserve  or  increase  the  existing  number  of  beehives  in  the  Union,  including  bee 
breeding; 

e) cooperation with specialised bodies for the implementation of research programmes in the field of 
beekeeping and apiculture products;  

f)  promotion,  communication  and  marketing  including  market  monitoring  actions  and  activities 
aimed in particular at raising consumer awareness about the quality of apiculture products; 

g) actions to enhance product quality.  

7. 

CONCLUSION 

The  importance  of  supporting  the  apiculture  sector  is  recognised  by  all  in  the  EU,  from  EU 
institutions, national and regional authorities to the general public. Though they were voluntary, all 
Member States have run apiculture programmes  in past years in close collaboration with the sector 
and  its  representatives.  Including  apiculture  support  in  the  CAP  strategic  plans  as  a  mandatory 
component for all Member States further underlines the importance of the sector and recognises its 

13 

 
 
contribution  to  the  CAP  specific  objectives,  notably  in  enhancing  biodiversity  and  preserving 
habitats.  It  also  recognises  the  valuable  support  provided  through  these  programmes  in  addressing 
the increasing challenges in beekeeping that are compounded by climate change.  

The range of measures has increased over the years, particularly with the latest types of interventions 
introduced  in  the  CAP  Strategic  Plan  Regulation.  These  interventions  expand  and  improve  on  the 
previous  measures,  providing  a  broader  scope  of  possible  actions  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  sector 
across Member States. Coupled to this, the substantial increase in funding since 2021 and the scope 
granted to Member States to increase their national co-financing should provide the resources needed 
for the sector to improve the production and marketing of apiculture products whilst catering for the 
diverse needs of its beekeepers across the EU. This augurs well for the continued high uptake of the 
available funds across all Member States. 

A good indicator of the positive impact of these programmes on the sector is the number of beehives, 
which continues to increase year on year. However, this is not always accompanied by an increase in 
production,  which  is  heavily  dependent  on  climatic  conditions  amongst  other  factors.  The  overall 
profitability  of  the  sector  also  depends  on  a  fair  price  being  paid  to  beekeepers  for  their  products. 
Average prices for honey in the EU have not increased much over the years, while production costs 
continue to rise and import prices fall. Overcoming the many challenges require a concerted effort by 
all.  This  underscores  the  need  to  continue  to  provide  support  to  the  sector,  particularly  given  the 
invaluable role that bees play for agriculture and the environment. 

14