SG Consultation on spending EU funds
There are just 9 days left to respond to this consultation which seeks the views of beekeeping stakeholders on possible changes to the way funds are spent from the EU which are designed to support beekeeping. A case has been made that the funds are primarily to support commercial beekeeping, but as so many hobby beekeepers sell (or aspire to sell) honey or other hive products as a sideline this definition could be a very wide one.
The consultation was sent to the LA secretaries known to the Scottish Government, so if you haven't heard about this and wish to have an input into your local association's response, you know who to ask. It goes without saying that new secretaries not on Alison's list or indeed anyone else could respond too.
Some excerpts from the letter (see the full thing here):
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In previous years the financial allocations have primarily focussed on measures (a) technical
assistance to beekeepers and groupings of beekeepers and (b) control of varroasis. These
activities have been provided through contributions to the funding of a full-time apiculture
specialist at Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) to provide free of charge and part-funded
services to beekeepers across Scotland (e.g. training courses, lectures and advice) and also
the provision of a free diagnostic service for beekeepers to identify and confirm the presence
of notifiable diseases and pests as well as Varroa. In considering priorities for the next
programme you may wish to consider:
• Maintaining the status quo - primarily focussing on Measures A and B (by the funding
of a full-time apiculture specialist to provide comprehensive advisory, training and
education programmes for beekeepers throughout Scotland and the provision of a
free diagnostic service at SASA to help identify and confirm the presence of a
notifiable bee pest or disease as well as Varroa).
• The re-allocation of spending to different Measures (a full list of measures is detailed
above
Attached is an example template which you may wish to use when responding to this
request.
And that list:
Apiculture Programme
- eligible measures:
a) Technical assistance to beekeepers and groupings of beekeepers;
b) Control of varroasis;
c) Rationalisation of transhumance;
d) Measures to support laboratories carrying out analyses of the physico-chemical
properties of honey;
e) Measures to support the restocking of hives in the Community; and
f) Cooperation with specialised bodies for the implementation of applied research
programmes in the field of beekeeping and apiculture products.
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So - support for my fuel costs if I car-share with others taking bees to the heather (option c)?! Yes please! Seriously, I don't see that as a serious option but there are others being discussed (e in particular, driven by bee farmers' concerns that some may experience high losses again) and I think it important that LAs give their views. We sought the views of East of Scotland members at our Monday meeting on some aspects of this and there was a high level of agreement.
Gavin
