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Thread: SG Consultation on spending EU funds

  1. #1
    Administrator gavin's Avatar
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    Default 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):

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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
    Last edited by gavin; 06-02-2013 at 10:03 AM.

  2. #2

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    Well for what it's worth Gavin I responded with a reference to Andrew Abrahams but also to our very own Jimbo (hope he doesn't mind me taking his group's name in vain!). I'm not so used to dealing with thone government punters so I just let my fingers do the talking. But you've got to try eh?

    For those looking for a soporific the text of what I said is on our Facebook page here

    http://www.facebook.com/SpeyBeekeepersAssociation

  3. #3
    Administrator gavin's Avatar
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    Default

    Folks, I learned today that the consultation has been extended for a week, so if you didn't manage to get one in by yesterday you can do so up to Friday of this coming week.

  4. #4
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    Default

    Done.

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