The European regulations on Organic Certification are the following:
 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC)No 1804/1999 of 19 July 1999
supplementing Regulation (EEC)No 2092/91 on organic production of agricultural 
products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and 
foodstuffs to include livestock production
(OJ L 222,24.8.1999,p.1) 
 
As one can see, it consists of measures covering all sorts of “livestock” some 
of it will therefore appear strange, but the annex specifically concerning 
beekeeping is quite clear and unambiguous.
The redaction was clearly made in English and there is nothing to suggest “they 
were translated from a foreign language by a non-beekeeper”.
 
 C. BEEKEEPING AND BEEKEEPING PRODUCTS
1. General principles
1.1. Beekeeping is an important activity that contributes to the protection of 
the environament and agricultural and forestry production through the 
pollination action of bees.
1.2. The qualification of beekeeping products as being from organic production 
is closely bound up both with the characteristic of the hives' treatments and 
the quality of the environment. This qualification also depends on the 
conditions for extraction, processing and storage of beekeeping products.
1.3. When an operator runs several beekeeping units in the same area all the 
units must comply with the requirements of this Regulation. By derogation from 
this principle, an operator can run units not complying with this Regulation 
provided that all the requirements of this Regulation are fulfilled with the 
exception of the provisions laid down in paragraph 4.2 for the siting of the 
apiaries. In that case, the product cannot be sold with references to organic 
production methods.
2. Conversion period
2.1. Beekeeping products can be sold with references to the organic production 
method only when the provisions laid down in this Regulation have been complied 
with for at least one year. During the conversion period the wax has to be 
replaced according to the requirements laid down in paragraph 8.3.
3. Origin of the bees
3.1. In the choice of breeds, account must be taken of the capacity of animals 
to adapt to local conditions, their vitality and their resistance to disease. 
Preference shall be given to the use of European breeds of Apis mellifera and 
their local ecotypes.
3.2. Apiaries must be constituted by means of the division of colonies or the 
acquisition of swarms or hives from units complying with the provisions laid 
down in this Regulation.
3.3. By way of a first derogation, subject to the prior approval by the 
inspection authority or body, apiaries existing in the production unit not 
complying with the rules of this Regulation can be converted.
3.4. By way of a second derogation, swarms on their own may be acquired from 
beekeepers not producing in accordance with this Regulation during a 
transitional period expiring on 24 August 2002 subject to the conversion period.
3.5. By way of a third derogation, the reconstitution of the apiaries shall be 
authorised by the control authority or body, when apiaries complying with this 
Regulation are not available, in case of high mortality of animals caused by 
health or catastrophic circumstances, subject to the conversion period.
3.6. By way of a fourth derogation, for the renovation of the apiaries 10 % per 
year of the queen bees and swarms not complying with this Regulation can be 
incorporated into the organic-production unit provided that the queen bees and 
swarms are placed in hives with combs or comb foundations coming from 
organic-production units. In the case, the conversion period does not apply.
4. Siting of the apiaries
4.1. The Member States may designate regions or areas where beekeeping complying 
with this Regulation is not practicable. A map on an appropriate scale listing 
the location of hives as provided for in Annex III, Part A1, section 2, first 
indent shall be provided to the inspection authority or body by the beekeeper. 
Where no such areas are identified, the beekeeper must provide the inspection 
authority or body with appropriate documentation and evidence, including 
suitable analyses if necessary, that the areas accessible to his colonies meet 
the conditions required in this Regulation.
4.2. The siting of the apiaries must:
(a) ensure enough natural nectar, honeydew and pollen sources for bees and 
access to water; 

(b) be such that, within a radius of 3 km from the apiary site, nectar and 
pollen sources consist essentially of organically produced crops and/or 
spontaneous vegetation, according to the requirements of Article 6 and Annex I 
of this Regulation, and crops not subject to the provisions of this Regulation 
but treated with low environmental impact methods such as, for example, those 
described in programs developed under Regulation (EEC) No 2078/92(5) which 
cannot significantly affect the qualification of beekeeping production as being 
organic; 

(c) maintain enough distance from any non-agricultural production sources 
possibly leading to contamination, for example: urban centres, motorways, 
industrial areas, waste dumps, waste incinerators, etc. The inspection 
authorities or bodies shall establish measures to ensure this requirement.
The above requirements do not apply to areas where flowering is not taking 
place, or when the hives are dormant.
5. Feed
5.1. At the end of the production season hives must be left with reserves of 
honey and pollen sufficiently abundant to survive the winter.
5.2. The artificial feeding of colonies is authorised where the survival of the 
hives is endangered due to extreme climatic conditions. Artificial feeding shall 
be made with organically produced honey, preferably from the same 
organic-production unit.
5.3. By way of a first derogation from paragraph 5.2, the competent authorities 
of the Member States can authorise the use of organically-produced sugar syrup, 
or organic sugar molasses instead of organically-produced honey in artificial 
feeding, in particular, when it is required by climatic conditions that provoke 
crystallisation of honey.
5.4. By way of a second derogation, sugar syrup, sugar molasses and honey not 
covered by this Regulation may be authorised by the inspection authority or body 
for artificial feeding during a transitional period expiring on 24 August 2002.
5.5. The following information shall be entered in the register of the apiaries 
with regard to the use of artificial feeding: type of product, dates, quantities 
and hives where it is used.
5.6. Other products different from those indicated in paragraphs 5.1 to 5.4 
cannot be used in beekeeping which complies with this Regulation.
5.7. Artificial feeding may be carried out only between the last honey harvest 
and 15 days before the start of the next nectar or honeydew flow period.
6. Disease prevention and veterinary treatments
6.1. Disease prevention in beekeeping shall be based on the following 
principles:
(a) the selection of appropriate hardy breeds; 
(b) the application of certain practices encouraging strong resistance to 
disease and the prevention of infections, such as: regular renewal of queen 
bees, systematic inspection of hives to detect any health anomalies, control of 
male broods in the hives, disinfecting of materials and equipment at regular 
intervals, destruction of contaminated material or sources, regular renewal of 
beeswax and sufficient reserves of pollen and honey in hives.
6.2. If despite all the above preventive measures, the colonies become sick or 
infested, they must be treated immediately and, if necessary, the colonies can 
be placed in isolation apiaries.
6.3. The use of veterinary medicinal products in beekeeping which complies with 
this Regulation shall respect the following principles:
(a) they can be used in so far as the corresponding use is authorised in the 
Member State in accordance with the relevant Community provisions or national 
provisions in conformity with Community law; 

(b) phytotherapeutic and homeopathic products shall be used in preference to 
allopathic products chemically synthesised, provided that their therapeutic 
effect is effective for the condition for which the treatment is intended; 

(c) if the use of the abovementioned products should prove or is unlikely to be 
effective to eradicate a disease or infestation which risks destroying colonies, 
allopathic chemically synthesised medicinal products may be used under the 
responsibility of a veterinarian, or other persons authorised by the Member 
State, without prejudice to the principles laid down in paragraphs (a) and (b) 
above; 

(d) the use of allopathic chemically synthesised medicinal products for 
preventive treatments is prohibited; 

(e) without prejudice to the principle in (a) above formic acid, lactic acid, 
acetic acid and oxalic acid and the following substances: menthol, thymol, 
eucalyptol or camphor can be used in cases of infestation with Varroa jacobsoni.
6.4. In addition to the above principles, veterinary treatments or treatments to 
hives, combs etc., which are compulsory under national or Community legislation 
shall be authorised.
6.5. If a treatment is applied with chemically synthesised allopathic products, 
during such a period, the colonies treated must be placed in isolation apiaries 
and all the wax must be replaced with wax complying with the conditions laid 
down in this Regulation. Subsequently, the conversion period of one year will 
apply to those colonies.
6.6. The requirements laid down in the previous paragraph do not apply to 
products mentioned in paragraph 6.3(e).
6.7. Whenever veterinary medicinal products are to be used, the type of product 
(including the indication of the active pharmacological substance) together with 
details of the diagnosis, the posology, the method of administration, the 
duration of the treatment and the legal withdrawal period must be recorded 
clearly and declared to the inspection body or authority before the products are 
marketed as organically produced.

 Bil Harley
France, latitude 45.8 Alt. 117m

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