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<DIV class=eutab style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 20px; TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase">EU News
> Regulations & directives</DIV>
<DIV class=mainheading style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10px">Save Europe’s bees</DIV>
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<DIV class=intro>Bee mortality is rising while the number of beekeepers in
Europe is declining, all of which could have a serious impact on food production
since most plants and crops are pollinated by bees. </DIV>
<P>The EP Agriculture Committee therefore wants the EU to step up support to the
beekeeping industry when the common agricultural policy is next revamped. </P>
<P>With 76% of food production and 84% of plant species dependent on pollination
by bees, the committee approved a draft resolution on Wednesday calling on the
Commission to increase aid to the beekeeping sector in the common agricultural
policy (CAP) after 2013, by reviewing legislation and increasing financial
support as well as investment in research. </P>
<P>Enhanced labelling rules and controls, further research on bee mortality and
the inclusion of bee diseases in EU veterinary policy are among recommendations
in the resolution, which was adopted by 30 votes to 0 with 1 abstention. </P>
<P>MEPs also urge the Commission to set up an action plan for tackling bee
mortality that would include promoting pollinator-friendly farming practices,
and to maintain and improve existing support programmes, which are due to expire
in 2012. </P>
<P><B><FONT size=3>Changes in labelling needed to guarantee quality</FONT></B>
<BR>With imports accounting for over 40% of the honey sold in Europe, the
committee wants EU food quality policy legislation to be updated to improve
rules on labelling of origin so to avoid misleading information on blends of
honey from EU and non-EU countries. Moreover, border controls, especially for
third country imports, should be harmonised since low-quality honey imports,
adulteration and honey substitutes distort the market and exert constant
pressure on prices and the final quality of product on the EU’s internal market.
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<P>Furthermore, any processed products advertised as containing honey, should be
allowed to make reference to honey in the denomination of the product only if at
least 50% of the sugar originates from honey, MEPs added. </P>
<P><B><FONT size=3>Better disease control</FONT></B> <BR>EU veterinary policy
needs to be modified so that it can tackle bee mortality, for example through
effective measures to control bee diseases such as the Varroa mite. In addition,
access to medicines in the whole of the European Union should be improved
through EU funding. </P>
<P><B><FONT size=3>Independent research to inform the public</FONT></B> <BR>The
draft resolution, which still has to be approved by the full Parliament, urges
the Commission to support independent research on bee mortality and ensure that
any data on the effects of GMO crops and pesticides on particular species of
bees are made public. Lastly, the committee suggests revising the rules on
pesticides and plant protection products to allow risk assessments of bees’
exposure to such substances. </P></SPAN><BR>
<DIV class=byline>8 November 2010</DIV><BR><BR></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT lang=0 face="Gill Sans MT" size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><BR><BR>Laurie Davies Adams<BR>Executive Director<BR>Pollinator
Partnership<BR>P 415 362 1137<BR>F 415 362 3070<BR>423 Washington Street, 5th
Floor<BR>San Francisco, CA 94111<BR><A href="http://www.pollinator.org/">www.pollinator.org</A><BR><A href="http://www.nappc.org/">www.nappc.org</A><U><BR></U>LDA@pollinator.org
<BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><B><I>Take Action for Pollinators at <A href="http://www.pollinator.org/">www.pollinator.org</A>
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