Filenews 29 June 2021
A majority agreement was reached at the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers at yesterday's meeting in Luxembourg on the Commission's proposal for a 10% target (maximum colony reduction) for the protection of bees, with a view to finalising the relevant guidance document from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
The European Food Safety Authority will now complete the review of the guidance document on bees. A draft regulation allowing the implementation of the bee guidance document will then be submitted to the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed. A qualified majority is required there. The draft regulation will then be subject to scrutiny by Parliament and the Council before it is adopted by the Commission.
Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakidou welcomed the constructive debate in the Council "and the clear support for an ambitious target in the critical protection of our pollinators". As he said "we can now overcome the deadlock in the discussions and ultimately focus on achieving the desired results. Time is essential - for the environment and the prosperity of our planet."
"I am therefore pleased that a clear majority of Ministers today supported our objective of increasing our ambitions and significantly strengthening the level of protection afforded to bees," he said.
Ministers, he added, "supported a maximum allowable level of 10% reduction in bee colony size as a specific protection target across the EU. This increases protection as it is significantly lower than acceptable under the current directive."
"At the same time, it is realistic, allowing on-the-spot studies to measure the achievement of the protection objective. This is very good news and an important achievement,"" the Commissioner pointed out.
"We all know that ensuring a high level of protection for bees and other pollinators is vital to the environment. The decision taken today by Ministers will allow EFSA to complete the review of the bee guidance document. In particular, this means that the risk assessment for bees from exposure to pesticides will eventually be updated after almost 20years", noted Mrs Kyriakidou.
"The decision taken today is therefore a clear sign of our commitment to achieving the objectives of the Farm to Plate and Biodiversity strategies. I now call on the European Parliament to participate constructively and to ensure that we can finally give bees the protection they deserve," he concluded.
