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Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:13:02 +0000 |
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Not many will be aware of this but a few weeks back three of us
(commercial beekeepers, two from UK and one from France) visited
Brussels for a meeting related to the health problems and viability
issues of the beekeeping sector. All three of us spoke to this meeting
and our input was well received. The meetings were widely reported on tv
and in the press in the UK at least. All my friends who know me found it
funny as it was the first time in years they had seen me in a suit other
than for weddings and funerals!
The group we were talking to, which included key figures in the
Agriculture committee, officials with expertise in the subject, and one
remarkeable MEP, Astrid Lulling from Luxembourg. Took on board all the
things we were saying. My UK friend spoke about marketing and
viablility, my French friend spoke at length on the pesticides issues,
and I spoke about stress, climate, monocultures, resistant varroa and
the effects these things hitting in combinations have on the bees. Other
key figures also had other things they wanted in like the GM issue and
the problems of imported honey containing diseases.
We three have no part in adding the GM and AFB parts, and in fact I am
not completely at ease with them as I feel the latter in particular
could be used as little more than a trade barrier as EU honey is not to
be subject to the same rigours. However, I digress.
A resolution was prepared by Astrid Lulling and passed the agriculture
committee unanimously.
Yesterday it went before the full European Parliament and passed by a
huge majority.
The press release is one the rather long link below. I have widened the
page to stop it wrapping but don't know if it will appear on list that
way.
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/032-42550-322-11
-47-904-20081119IPR42549-17-11-2008-2008-false/default_en.htm
The ecological recovery zones are *mooted* at this stage to be 1 to 2%
of all arable farms which will be planted in bee forage.
Taken as a package this could be great for us all in the EU over the
years to come.
--
Murray McGregor
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* General Information About BEE-L is available at: *
* http://www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/default.htm *
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