Action demanded as cheap honey imports flood market

Cheap imports of honey are flooding into the European Union from China, where different production and labour costs apply.

Copa-Cogeca, the umbrella body for EU farmers and co-ops, which made the claim, urged the European Commission to take action.

It called on Commissioner Karel de Gucht to monitor and step up controls and look into the possibility of establishing anti-dumping measures against these imports. Chairman of Copa-Cogeca’s Working Party on Honey Etienne Bruneau said Europe has a long tradition of producing and consuming honey.

“Beekeeping is an important economic activity and it is vital for crop pollination in Europe. With production of around 215,000t of honey per year and increasing consumption, the EU has a 60% self-sufficiency rate.

“But in the last five years, we saw an increase of around 50% in honey imports from China coming into the EU, mainly due to their low prices.”

Copa Cogeca said European producers are facing unfair competition which threatens thousands of jobs, mostly in rural areas, and which could deepen the current economic crisis.

Secretary-general Pekka Pesonen said European honey producers can no longer earn a decent income.

“In these conditions, they would need three times more hives than the current average of 400 hives,” he said.