Clarifying the status of pollen in honey : substitute impact assessment of EC directive amending council honey directive 2001/110/EC

Following the ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in the Bablok case, the European Commission proposes to clarify the status of pollen in honey and to define it as a natural constituent of honey rather than an ingredient, as decided by the CJEU. This has practical implications on European labelling, supervision and authorisation requirements for honey. In addition, it has potential economic, social and environmental implications. The European Commission proposal to change the status quo was not accompanied by an impact assessment. This substitute impact assessment provides an overview of the European honey industry and a legal analysis of a change in the status of pollen in honey. From this, the most important economic, social and environmental impacts are identified and presented.