European apiculture. Discussion paper

The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development adopted the draft report unanimously. The report mainly highlighted the difficult economic situation of beekeepers in Europe and called for immediate action to support beekeeping, ideally within the framework of a common organisation of the honey market, with simple administrative arrangements. The report also called on the Commission to propose a priority action programme to improve production, processing and marketing conditions in this sector, to carry out a study in the Member States of the structure of apiculture and to take steps to implement a quality policy. It also called on the Council to approve the introduction of a Community pollination premium for every beehive, payable to both commercial and part-time beekeepers, on ecological and socio-economic grounds, together with financial compensation for loss of income because there is no Community preference in this sector.�