(17 June 2019) – The European Commission will provide €120 million to the EU’s beekeeping sector over the next three years to support its essential role in agriculture and the environment.
This amount, doubled by national contributions from Member States, will apply to national apiculture programmes starting on 1 August 2019 and running until 31 July 2022.
Measures include for example education to beekeepers, support to start a beekeeping business, fighting against parasites damaging hives, and research or measures on improving honey quality.
In 2018, the EU had over 17.5 million hives divided over 600,000 beekeepers. Beekeeping is practiced in all EU Member States and the European Union is the world’s second largest honey producer.
Honeybee colonies are essential for agriculture and environment, ensuring plant reproduction by pollination, while beekeeping participates to the development of rural areas.