Beekeeping, honey production and wild bees
It is estimated that pollinators contribute at least 22 billion Euros each year to European agriculture, with 84% of crops needing insect pollination, and more than 80% of wild flowers require pollinators to reproduce. However, throughout Europe there a severe decline in the numbers of wild bees and other pollinators and managed honeybees have been reported, and this trend is expected to continue.
The EU has more than 2,500 species of wild bees and one species, the honeybee (Apis mellifera), which has been domesticated and is widely managed; there are also a few other species of bumblebees (Bombus spp.) and Osmia bee which are also managed for pollination services but on a smaller scale.
These EU bee species play an important role in both crop and wild flower pollination and honeybees also provide honey and other apiculture products within the EU.
The European Commission is working on a number of different areas that affect bees and the beekeeping sector including the following:
Commission earmarks €3.3 million for
surveillance studies on honeybee colony losses
The voluntary surveillance studies on honeybee colony losses will be co-financed by the Commission at the rate of 70 % of eligible costs for the period 1 April 2012 to 30 June 2013 with up to a maximum amount of:
- EUR 62.876 for Belgium;
- EUR 192.688 for Denmark;
- EUR 66.637 for Estonia;
- EUR 213.986 for Finland;
- EUR 529.615 for France;
- EUR 294.230 for Germany;
- EUR 109.931 for Greece;
- EUR 98.893 for Hungary;
- EUR 521.590 for Italy;
- EUR 147.375 for Latvia;
- EUR 92.123 for Lithuania;
- EUR 254.108 for Poland;
- EUR 28.020 for Portugal;
- EUR 183.337 for Slovak Republic;
- EUR 205.050 for Spain;
- EUR 39.862 for Sweden;
- EUR 267.482 for the United Kingdom.
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Several key stakeholders has expressed opinions on the Communication.
- European Institutions
- Non-Governmental organisations
.
