This Regional Act is designed to promote the development and practice of apiculture, and is also intended as a means of improving the quality and increasing the agricultural production and exploiting natural ecosystems in order to protect the bee population and prevent disease to the bee population. Apiculture is defined as an agricultural activity, and forms part of the regional agricultural economy, contributing towards environmental conservation and exploiting bee products. In order to attain these objectives, the Regional Executive Council is authorized to provide associations of bee-keepers recognised under Regional Act No. 57 of 10 September 1981 with grants of up to 75 percent of eligible expenses for implementing such specific programmes as: hygiene and disease prevention in hives, and technical assistance provided by apicultural technicians; running basic and refresher vocational training courses, theoretical/practical conferences, studies and research; promotional and dissemination activities to improve the marketing and use of the region's bee products, including the chemical analysis of bee products; publications of relevance to apiculture and the purchase of educational material for members; the purchase of machinery and ancillary materials for the practice of apiculture, etc. The Regional Executive Council is required to set up a Regional Apiculture Centre at the Istituto Zooprofilatico Sperimentale in the Region of Venice with the following functions: bee disease prevention; chemical, physical and pollen tests to enhance bee products; experimental and promotional work using modern bee breeding techniques; training courses for people employed in bee-keeping, etc. The Regional Executive Council is required to set up a Register of apiculture technicians, with which any apiculture technicians whose names are submitted each year by recognized bee producers' associations may register after receiving clearance from the Regional Consultative Authority on Apiculture. Every owner of any type of bee-hive must report the fact to the Local Health Authority (USL) by 30 November each year, either directly or through recognised bee-keepers' associations. The report must state whether they are fitted with movable or fixed combs. Any honey-combs which are brought into the territory of the region must be reported to the municipality and the Local Health Authority (USL) of destination at least 10 days before being introduced, together with a health certificate attesting to the origin of the comb and the health of the bees. The Regional Act provides a list of notifiable bee diseases which must be reported to the local USL by owners of any kind of bee-hive. In conjunction with apiculture technicians, the local USL is responsible for carrying out diagnostic tests and analyses and taking appropriate measures under current legislation and regulations. It is prohibited to leave any infected or presumed infected honey or honeycombs within reach of the bees. It is also prohibited to carry out any experiments regarding diseases on living bees. A number of restrictions and conditions are laid down in the Act with regard to herbicide and plant health treatments, and hive owners are prohibited from abandoning them. The Act also provides that the marketing of bees within the regional territory is only permitted after receiving a health certificate issued by the competent local USL. It also provides that bee-hives must be sited no less than five metres from public thoroughfares and no less than one metre from the boundary of property. The Act creates a number of offences and the corresponding penalties, and requires the Regional Executive Council to issue regulations for the enforcement of the Regional Act.
Italia · 1994-04-18