Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-06-16-Speech-1-047"
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"en.20080616.18.1-047"2
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"Mr President, Europe’s bees face extinction within a decade. Diseases and viruses have already wiped out one third of the colonies in America and now threaten our own. The American situation offers a dangerous snapshot of what we potentially face in Europe unless we act now. At least 70 crops that contribute significantly to the overall economy depend directly on pollination by the bees.
The US is having to import bees to make up the losses. In the current climate there are serious questions over the EU’s capacity to produce enough food to satisfy demand, and the implications of a similar outbreak here would be disastrous.
Beekeepers across Europe already know about the threat caused by the varroa mites that have decimated bee colonies. They are having to deal with Colony Collapse Disorder, which is when hives are systematically abandoned and the bees effectively disappear off the face of the earth.
We need to provide funding and proper scientific research in this area. The UK Government currently provides just GBP 250 000 towards bee research. That is a drop in the ocean for such an important issue. Bees are an integral part of the food chain: without bees, beekeepers, crops, fruit and nuts will be adversely affected."@en1
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