Hungarian government presses for effective steps against imports of fake honey in Brussels

Agriculture Minister István Nagy called for effective measures to counter imports of fake honey after a meeting of his European Union peers in Brussels on Monday.

Effective measures against fake honey

At a press conference after the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting, Nagy said honey needed to be designated natural or artificial, while local beekeepers, at a competitive disadvantage, required more support. He added that Bulgaria and Romania had asked for protective measures to counter an increase in imports of Ukrainian honey that were depressing the prices of locally-made products.

Source: Pexels

Nagy said positions on fishing opportunities for 2025 discussed at the meeting were still “far apart” and augured “tough negotiations” ahead.

Nagy said that Ukrainian Minister for Agrarian Policy and Food Vitalii Koval had participated at the meeting and reported that 88pc of Ukrainian grain exports were now being shipped by sea, but highlighted the risks posed by Russian missile attacks on Odessa.

Nagy noted that the so-called Autonomous Trade Measures, involving the suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports to the EU, were set to expire in June 2025 and pointed to the importance of future agreements on trade of farm products.

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