2024-02-22 13:22:08
After yesterday’s protest by farmers with tractors, today Syntagma Square in front of the Parliament in the Greek capital Athens is the scene of a demonstration by disgruntled beekeepers, Greek media reports.
The beekeepers, who gathered this morning in front of the Monument to the Unknown Warrior with cigarettes in hand, are trying to draw attention to the problems of the sector, such as the illegal presentation of imported honey for Greek and the high cost of production, Sky TV reported. The protesters are expected to stay there until late in the evening, BTA reported.
Among their demands is that measures be taken for full traceability of the movement of imported honey and the introduction of pollen analysis among the laboratory tests applied to the product.
With regard to the cost of production, beekeepers insist on the permanent cancellation of the excise tax on fuel for them and the preservation of the non-taxable minimum.
In addition, the protesters want the restrictive fire prevention measures to be lifted, which they say “deprive them of their right to work”.
During the devastating fires last year, careless activities in the apiaries were identified as the cause of some of them, recalls Sky.
The Greek beekeepers are also demanding subsidies for the pollination of agricultural crops, for full inclusion in the Common Agricultural Policy and eco-schemes, for the reorganization of the agricultural insurance system, for the cancellation of forestry restrictions on the placement of apiaries, etc.
Protesting farmers, who blocked the center of the Greek capital with tractors on Tuesday, are expected to hold meetings today to decide what their next steps will be.