Beekeepers across Spain will focus on 19th October from different autonomous parliaments to demand a more transparent labeling of honey. The protests will take place from 11:00h in Sevilla, Zaragoza, Valencia, Merida, Santiago de Compostela, Santander, Murcia, Guadalajara, Barcelona, Logroño and Tenerife.
The Coordinator of Organizations of Farmers and Ranchers (COAG) has spent years denouncing the lack of transparency which enables the implementation of Directive 2001/110/ EC Honey in Spain, now amended by Directive 2014/63 / EU, allowing operators to label honey from outside the EU as “mixture of honeys EU-non-EU” without indicating the countries where honeys were collected, or labeled as “mixture of honeys non-EU” without indicating their country or countries of origin .
For COAG, Honey Directive in Spain goes against the provisions of the Community rules on labeling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs as misleading consumers
From this agrarian organization it is considered “basic” the rule modification which has been demanding to allow Spanish beekeepers can differentiate their products against those of third countries.
In the words of Angel Diaz, head of beekeeping COAG, “the situation is increasingly worrisome because imports from third countries (which are not subject to the high standards of quality and safety required of our producers) are growing and because the routes by entering our country are increasingly complex”.
COAG complaint that in the last 5 years, imports of honey from China, of questionable quality and low price, have experienced an increase of 37%
Calendar of protests on October 19th
– Andalusia. Front of the Parliament of Andalusia in Seville. C / San Juan de Ribera s/n. 11:00h.
– Valencian Community. Outside the headquarters of the Valencian Parliament in Valencia. Plaça Sant Llorenc, 4. From 11:00h.
– Aragon. Faced with the Government Delegation in Zaragoza. Plaza del Pilar. 11:00h.
– Extremadura. Faced with the Assembly of Extremadura in Mérida. From 11:00h.
– Galicia. In front of the administrative building of the Xunta de Galicia in Santiago de Compostela. Rua San Caetano, s/n. From 12:00h.
– Cantabria. Concentration of beekeepers in Plaza Alfonso XIII (better known as Plaza de Correos). From 12:00h.
– Murcia. Plaza de Santo Domingo, Murcia, starting at 11:00h
– Castilla la Mancha. Faced with the delegation of the Government of Castilla La Mancha in Guadalajara. C / Juan Bautista Topete, 1 and 3. From 12:00h
– Canary Islands. Front of the Parliament of the Canary Islands, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. From 11:00h.
– Catalonia. Document delivery protest in the Parliament of Catalonia, Barcelona. From 12:00h.
– The Rioja. In front of the Parliament of La Rioja in Logroño, C/Marqués de San Nicolas, 111.
– Castilla y Leon, held the rally on October 26 in front of the Government Delegation in Valladolid.
Source: COAG
