The European Commission has approved the national programmes for all 27 EU member states to improve the production and marketing of apiculture products for 2011-2013.
The EU contribution to the financing of the programmes has increased by almost 25% compared to the previous funding period (2008-10), from 26 million euro (21.2 million GBP) to 32 million euro (26.1 million GBP) per year. The United Kingdom will receive 2,222,387 euro (1,814,579 GBP) of EU funding over the three year period.
The health of the beekeeping sector is a sensitive issue given the fundamental role of bees for pollination.
For several years the sector has been facing an unprecedented mortality of bees. This not only makes the economic situation difficult for beekeepers, but also poses a threat to biodiversity. The national programmes are currently the only tool available to partially offset the loss of bees.
Member States have been satisfied with the benefits provided by these programmes and the positive effect is also widely recognized by beekeepers.
Against this background the Commission decided to increase the overall annual budget allocated for the co-financing of the national programmes to increase the effectiveness of the programmes and demonstrate the proactive approach of the Commission towards resolving the problems of a highly sensitive sector.
The national beekeeping programmes relate to different measures, such as control of varroasis, rationalisation of transhumance, support for laboratories, restocking of hives, applied research programmes and technical assistance.
