We are pleased to inform you that the EBA has undertaken an initiative to raise awareness about the benefits of European honey among EU parliamentarians.
European honey stands not only as a symbol of our rich cultural heritage but also as a cornerstone of our agricultural economy, contributing significantly to biodiversity, environmental sustainability, and rural development.

In our effort to promote European honey, the EBA has provided comprehensive information to 648 EU parliamentarians, highlighting its nutritional value, economic importance, and role in preserving our natural heritage. We believe that by fostering greater appreciation for European honey, we can strengthen the resilience of our agricultural sector and promote sustainable consumption practices.
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“Dear esteemed Member of the European Parliament,

I hope this message finds you well.

It is my pleasure to introduce you to the European Beekeeping Association, a newly-formed unique organisation in Europe that advocates for the welfare of bees and in favour of environmental sustainability and biodiversity, on behalf of European beekeepers.

The European Beekeeping Association (EBA) was founded on February 10th, 2024, and is headquartered in Slovenia, close to the capital city of Ljubljana.

The main objectives of the European Beekeeping Association are:

1. Fighting against counterfeit honey in Europe by raising awareness on topics like product fraud, public health risks and threats to the activity of the authentic producers of honey – the beekeepers from European countries. In this sense, we are working towards the establishment of a common EU procedure for the detection of counterfeit honey and on establishing a reference European laboratory for honey. We will continuously promote all bee-products in the process.

2. Promoting the implementation of a unique set of EU financial measures aimed at enhancing the ecological balance, biological diversity and food production in Europe. One example could be incentives per beehive for European beekeepers, as support for the pollinating role of bees in the environment.

3. Developing strategies to protect the health and repopulation of bee colonies in Europe, through agro-ecological measures, all with the aim of reducing the mortality of bee colonies. Focused cooperation between beekeepers, farmers, veterinarians, lawmakers and other specialists will be based on the exchange of experiences and knowledge on topics related to spraying periods and other applications of insecticides and pesticides, disease prevention and control, and proper handling of medicines for bees, among others.

In the following article, you will discover the significance of honey production not only as a culinary delight but also as a key contributor to ecological balance and agricultural prosperity. Additionally, you will find out about the crucial mission and objectives of the newly formed European Beekeeping Association, aimed at safeguarding bee populations, promoting sustainable beekeeping practices, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders.

Your future support and constructive engagement with our initiatives will be invaluable to us, as we strive to protect our natural environment and ensure the continued health and vitality of bee populations. Together we can work to improve, in the end, European citizens’ overall quality of life.

Please find the article attached and feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to know more about the European Beekeeping Association and our planned goals and activities.

Thank you for your attention and dedication to preserving our planet’s biodiversity.”

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ATACHMENT ARTICLE (Published publicly on March 27, 2024: https://ebaeurope.eu/europeans-choose-european-honey/):

European Beekeeping Association

Head office: Brdo pri Lukovici 8, 1225 Lukovica, Slovenia

eba@ebaeurope.eu

EUROPEANS CHOOSE EUROPEAN HONEY

By choosing European honey, you help beekeepers to maintain the interest in beekeeping and thus contribute to the survival of bees. Wild pollinators have been decimated by intensive agriculture, and the honey bee can survive for as long as beekeepers have a symbolic interest in raising bees. Without beekeepers there are no bees. Without beekeepers they would disappear in less than two years due to unmanaged bee parasites.

Europeans know that European beekeepers respect the rules of traditional production, take care of bees, and deliver safe honey of the highest quality to consumers.

European regulations ensure high hygienic standards of honey production. European bees are not treated with antibiotics and other agents banned in Europe, so the possibility of honey contamination is excluded.

European honey contains antioxidants, minerals and probiotic bacteria that are more adapted to our body than expected.

The territory of geographical Europe produces honey of incomparably better quality and aroma than imported honeys, due to its clean nature and waters.

By choosing European honey, you improve the quality of all domestic agricultural products that require pollination, because pollination cannot be imported like honey.

By choosing European honey, you help preserve nature and European biodiversity, because bees, in addition to cultivated bees, also pollinate a huge number of wild plants that are a crucial part of the food chain in nature.

By choosing European honey, you support the cultural heritage and centuries-old culinary experiences that contribute to our health and connect us to nature. It has been proven that adding honey to culinary dishes contributes to a better absorption of nutrients from those dishes in our body.

By choosing European honey, you reduce the environmental pollution associated with long-distance transport, as well as the use of energy sources in the honey adulteration process. In contrast, beekeeping improves the environment and uses and relies only on local natural resources.

By choosing European honey, you support local beekeepers, reduce inflation and the outflow of capital from Europe.

By choosing European honey, you are eating real bee honey. The European Commission has announced that almost 50% of imported honey is fake. You have the greatest guarantee of quality when you purchase honey directly from beekeepers in your area, and if you purchase it in a store, pay attention to the country of origin, because the safest honey is from the territory of geographical Europe. Most counterfeits contain sugar syrups with additives. Such adulterated (“fake”) honey had mostly no contact with bees and only serves to deceive consumers and profit counterfeiters.“

Counterfeit honey can contain even sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), artificial enzymes (which are also added to the so-called vegan “honey”, which does not actually exist, because there is no honey without bees), artificial flavors, artificial colors and low-grade sugars, which are added during counterfeiting and can present risks for human health. In such fake honey, there is not even the slightest biological value that bee honey provides to the human body. Authentic bee products are increasingly successfully used in apitherapy (a branch of complementary medicine based on science and rich tradition).