Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/580 of 1 February 2021 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/1366 as regards the basis for allocating the financial contribution in the apiculture sector

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007⁽¹⁾, and in particular Article 56(1) thereof,

Whereas:

1. Article 4 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/1366⁽²⁾ lays down the basis for the Union’s financial contribution to Member States for their apiculture programmes. It is to be allocated in proportion to the average total number of beehives notified by the Member States during the two calendar years immediately preceding the notification to the Commission of the apiculture programmes.

2. Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093⁽³⁾ sets the yearly ceiling for the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (‘EAGF’). Within that ceiling, that fund will finance the Union contribution to the apiculture programmes, effective from 2021. The total amount provided for in the multiannual financial framework in respect of the EAGF includes an increase to EUR 60 million per year for apiculture programmes.

3. For the period 2021-2027, the Commission has proposed to allocate the increased Union contribution for the apiculture programmes as set out in Annex VIII to the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing rules on support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the Common agricultural policy (CAP Strategic Plans) and financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council⁽⁴⁾ and Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council⁽⁵⁾.

4. The basis for allocating Union contribution to Member States set out in Commission proposal COM(2018) 392 final was the allocation of Union funds for the 2017-2019 apiculture programmes, which in turn was made on the basis of the number of beehives communicated in 2013 by the Member States in their respective 2014-2016 apiculture programmes, adjusted by the applications submitted by Member States for allocation in the 2017-2019 programming period.

5. The increased Union contribution to the apiculture programmes is to be effective from 2021, while Member States’ CAP Strategic Plans under the future CAP legislative framework is expected to apply only in 2023.

6. For the purposes of consistency with Commission proposal COM(2018) 392 final, and in order to ensure coherence between the allocations for apiculture programmes for the years 2021 and 2022 and from 2023 onwards, the allocations for apiculture programmes for the years 2021 and 2022 should be calculated on the basis of the number of beehives communicated in 2013 by the Member States in their respective 2014-2016 apiculture programmes, adjusted by the applications submitted by Member States for allocation in the 2017-2019 programming period.

7. Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/1366 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: