The linden tree is one of the symbols of Slovenia, in Slovenia beekeeping is a way of life and that is why on World Bee Day, which was declared by the UN on 20 December 2017 at the initiative of the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association, we distributed a jar of linden honey to all EU members of parliament. With the help of Slovenian MEP Zala Tomašič, they received real honey, mainly so that EU members would know what real honey is, because nowadays real honey is already difficult to find in many places.
The EU members began the day we celebrate World Bee Day with a traditional Slovenian breakfast.
At breakfast, the president of the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association and the European Beekeeping Association Boštjan Noč asked everyone present to do everything they could to immediately remove counterfeit honey from the market and thus protect consumers.
He emphasized that just a spoonful of real honey improves health, while counterfeit honey can even harm health!
He also asked those present to finally support beekeepers for beekeeping, as bees are primarily pollinators. A third of the world’s food depends on pollination, not to mention its importance for biodiversity. Therefore, it is imperative to introduce direct payments for each bee colony as compensation for pollination services! Let us be aware that pollination cannot be imported!
At the end, he asked everyone to support the proposal of the European Beekeeping Associaton for Europe to launch a unified campaign, Europeans buy local food – origin Europe!
We were particularly impressed by the presence of the President of the EU Parliament, Mrs.
Roberta Metsola, who was enthusiastic about the event. She knows the beekeeping topic very well, and in addition to the problem of counterfeit honey, she highlighted the importance of bee health care and the protection of local bees. In the President of the EU Parliament, beekeepers have an ally!
In the breakfast debate, the MEPs responded with positive views and promised cooperation and support.
We would like to thank EU MEP Zala Tomašič for all the organization