BRUSSELS, 6th May 2026 – The latest meeting of the Honey Platform concluded today characterized by extensive discussions but a critical absence of actionable outcomes. While the session allowed for an exchange of perspectives, the European Beekeeping Association (EBA) notes that differing stakeholder interests and a persistent lack of understanding regarding the fundamental depth of the current market crisis continue to stall progress.
Above all, the EBA emphasizes that the current frequency of engagement is insufficient; more than two online meetings per year are required to effectively address the pace of the crisis. Furthermore, technical debates continue to circle without resolution; specifically, a debate regarding invertase was once again revisited, with stakeholders presenting differing opinions that failed to yield any concrete conclusions or unified technical standards.
Critically, the EBA highlights with concern that honey adulteration was not discussed at all during the proceedings. The EBA asserts that without established mechanisms to test for the authenticity of honey and robust border controls, both consumers and beekeepers remain entirely unprotected against fraud.
The EBA expresses its appreciation to Copa-Cogeca for their presentation on traceability. Their input demonstrates a clear alignment with the EBA Scientific Committee’s technical overview of the systemic threats to honey market integrity, highlighting a shared concern among primary producers.
To move beyond administrative theory and toward functional enforcement, the EBA outlines a two-tier strategy focused on immediate domestic stabilization and rigorous international oversight.
- Domestic Level: Establishing the Market Anchor
The EBA maintains that the European Union must prioritize the implementation of a harmonized and mandatory traceability framework for domestic honey. A robust domestic system is the essential prerequisite for addressing the complexities of the global market.
- Immediate Application: Traceability systems for domestic honey are already operational in several Member States and are ready for immediate, EU-wide harmonization.
- Foundation for Integrity: By fully accounting for EU production, authorities establish a “market anchor.” This allows for the identification of inconsistencies in import volumes and provides the data necessary to detect potential fraud with greater efficacy.
- Protection of Stakeholders: A unified domestic framework serves to protect both consumers and beekeepers by ensuring the internal market is transparent and verifiable.
- International Level: Securing the Border with “Legal Weapons”
For imported honey, the EBA proposes the following mandatory measures to ensure that traceability becomes a functional enforcement tool rather than a bureaucratic exercise:
- Financial Traceability: Mandatory submission of a full chain of invoices back to the original harvest point at Border Control Posts (BCPs) to eliminate the lack of transparency currently prevalent in Free Trade Zones.
- Enhanced Oversight: A significant increase in customs supervision within Free Trade Zones to prevent illicit blending operations.
- Certification Integrity: A prohibition on third-country authorities issuing new TRACES or health certificates based on processing. Filtering, blending, and repackaging do not constitute a “substantial transformation,” and the original origin must remain the sole legal reference.
- EURL Designation: The immediate adoption of delegated acts to designate an EU Reference Laboratory (EURL) under the Official Control Regulation.
- Public Analytical Databases: The development of a publicly owned NMR database to ensure that binding testing methods remain independent of private software and proprietary interests.
Conclusion: Without these proposed specific legislative tools, political will to act on the existing legislation and a focus on authenticity testing, traceability will remain a purely administrative exercise. The EBA calls for a decisive shift toward a system that offers genuine protection for the long-term viability of the European beekeeping sector and the protection of the consumer. We would like to point out that traceability to the country of origin is not enough on its own without evidence that what was harvested in that country was actually honey, and not processed sugar syrup.
Dr Nik Lupše,
Head of EBA Scientific Committees
