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<BR>Home,Anses,News,Press room,Agenda,Our topics,Food,Animal health and nutrition,Environmental health,Occupational health,Plants,Opinions and publications,Last opinions and reports,Food opinions and reports,Animal health and nutrition opinions and reports,Environmental and occupational health opinions and reports,Plants opinions,Opinions and reports in English,Bulletins and periodicals,Other publications,Subscribe to Anses newsletter,Research and reference,Research program,Laboratories and reference activities, + ,Job opportunities,Public procurement contracts,Our websites,Partners,Extranet / ExpertNet,Kid's area,Legal notice,Contact, ,<BR>For the last fifty years or so, a decline in pollinating insect populations has been observed in numerous industrialised countries. High bee mortality has been observed in particular since the mid 1980s in Europe and worldwide. These phenomena are of major concern for beekeeping professionals, the farming sector and the public authorities. This is because pollinating insects, and especially wild and honey bees, contribute to the survival and development of more than 80% of plant species. <BR><BR>At Afssa's request, a survey was conducted in 2008 by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) among Member States for a clearer insight into the European beekeeping sector and to obtain information on the surveillance practices of bee colony mortality and weakening. The results of this survey revealed a significant disparity between Member States in terms of the way surveillance is organised and results.<BR>As a result, EFSA launched a call for projects on bee mortality and bee colony surveillance in Europe with a view to harmonising surveillance at European level. Afssa and a consortium of partners were awarded this call for projects in November 2008.<BR><BR>This project has three objectives:<BR>- conduct an exhaustive analytical review of the possible causes of bee mortality;<BR>- write a critical description of existing surveillance systems and the data these have produced;<BR>- draw up recommendations on European harmonised monitoring systems.<BR><BR>Intended to last 9 months, this project involved Afssa, the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (Inra), the National Bee Unit of the Central Science Laboratory (UK), the Swiss Research Centre on Bees, the Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences, the Slovenian Agricultural Institute, the Zooprophylactic Institute of Venetia and the Office for Chemical Research and Veterinary Sciences in Freiburg.<BR><BR>Afssa will coordinate the operations in partnership with Pascal Hendrikx, through his cross-disciplinary mission “epidemiological networks”, and Marie-Pierre Chauzat (“Bee pathology” unit at the Sophia-Antipolis Laboratory). European funding will pay for the temporary recruitment of an epidemiologist and meetings between partners. <BR><BR>Context<BR>At Afssa's request, a survey was carried out in 2008 by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) among the Member States for a clearer insight into the European beekeeping sector. This particularly aimed to obtain information on the surveillance practices of bee colony mortality and weakening, monitoring of the presence of medicinal residues in honey and honey production in the different Member States. The survey results, although incomplete, show a significant disparity between situations on the three subjects addressed. Accordingly, 8 out of the 22 States who responded to the survey reported the existence of a surveillance network gathering epidemiological data on colony mortality, collapse and weakening. This data nevertheless seems difficult to compare in view of non-harmonised definitions between Member States, which leaves room for variable interpretation.<BR>Based on this observation, in August 2008 EFSA launched a call for projects on bee mortality and bee colony surveillance in Europe. This is what Afssa and its partners were awarded in November 2008.<BR><BR><BR><BR>For more information<BR><BR>Study "Weakening, collapse and mortality of bee colonies" :<BR><BR>> News of 18 February 2009<BR><BR>> The report<BR>Bee health: a European project to harmonise colony surveillance<BR>18 March 2009<BR>News<BR>Highlighted news,Archives,-,Archives of AFSSET news,Archives of AFSSA news,<A HREF='PM910004I0.htm'>More infos on News</A>
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For the last fifty years or so, a decline in pollinating insect populations has been observed in numerous industrialised countries. High bee mortality has been observed in particular since the mid 1980s in Europe and worldwide. These phenomena are of major concern for beekeeping professionals, the farming sector and the public authorities. This is because pollinating insects, and especially wild and honey bees, contribute to the survival and development of more than 80% of plant species.
At Afssa's request, a survey was conducted in 2008 by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) among Member States for a clearer insight into the European beekeeping sector and to obtain information on the surveillance practices of bee colony mortality and weakening. The results of this survey revealed a significant disparity between Member States in terms of the way surveillance is organised and results. As a result, EFSA launched a call for projects on bee mortality and bee colony surveillance in Europe with a view to harmonising surveillance at European level. Afssa and a consortium of partners were awarded this call for projects in November 2008.
This project has three objectives: - conduct an exhaustive analytical review of the possible causes of bee mortality; - write a critical description of existing surveillance systems and the data these have produced; - draw up recommendations on European harmonised monitoring systems.
Intended to last 9 months, this project involved Afssa, the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (Inra), the National Bee Unit of the Central Science Laboratory (UK), the Swiss Research Centre on Bees, the Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences, the Slovenian Agricultural Institute, the Zooprophylactic Institute of Venetia and the Office for Chemical Research and Veterinary Sciences in Freiburg.
Afssa will coordinate the operations in partnership with Pascal Hendrikx, through his cross-disciplinary mission “epidemiological networks”, and Marie-Pierre Chauzat (“Bee pathology” unit at the Sophia-Antipolis Laboratory). European funding will pay for the temporary recruitment of an epidemiologist and meetings between partners.
Context At Afssa's request, a survey was carried out in 2008 by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) among the Member States for a clearer insight into the European beekeeping sector. This particularly aimed to obtain information on the surveillance practices of bee colony mortality and weakening, monitoring of the presence of medicinal residues in honey and honey production in the different Member States. The survey results, although incomplete, show a significant disparity between situations on the three subjects addressed. Accordingly, 8 out of the 22 States who responded to the survey reported the existence of a surveillance network gathering epidemiological data on colony mortality, collapse and weakening. This data nevertheless seems difficult to compare in view of non-harmonised definitions between Member States, which leaves room for variable interpretation. Based on this observation, in August 2008 EFSA launched a call for projects on bee mortality and bee colony surveillance in Europe. This is what Afssa and its partners were awarded in November 2008.
For more information
Study "Weakening, collapse and mortality of bee colonies" :
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