Date: 26th May 2011
Released by: Julie Girling MEP
Contact: 00 32 2284 7678 or 07725 912 170
Online: www.juliegirling.com Twitter: @juliegirling
GIRLING IMPRESSED BY COUNCIL OUTCOME ON BEE HEALTH
Conservative MEP Julie Girling today expressed her delight at news released by the Council of the European Union about Honeybee health. The Council have emphasised the importance of devoting attention to Honeybee Health and have placed specific emphasis on several aspects of the paper including support for breeding programmes and promoting proper land management.
The paper from the Council emphasises the importance of a wide range of issues. Mrs Girling is Rapporteur for the parliament's Environment Committee on this subject and has raised many similar points.
Mrs Girling said; “The European Council, the body representing Member State governments, has acknowledged the vital role the beekeeping sector plays both economically and biologically. It is extremely satisfying to know that the work we have been undertaking on bees and bee health is being taken seriously by the Council and that we now have their support to push forward working for the protection of honeybees.
Areas in which progess still need to be made include, but are not limited to, better biosecurity and production practices by bee keepers; development of new bees medicines by the industry; or designing improved training programmes for authorities and beekepers and new safeguards for pesticide use.
I am committed to working with beekeepers and industry to find a way forward that protects honeybees and in turn, strengthens our food future.”
Beekeeping is a widely-developed activity in the EU, both at professional (keepers with over 150 hives) and hobby level. There are around 700,000 beekeepers in the EU out of which around 97% are non-professional accounting for around 67% of EU hives. Honey production is estimated to be close to 200.000 tons.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
The full Council conclusions on the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on Honeybee Health can be found at:
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/agricult/122023.pdf
