Law No. 70-XVI on apiculture.

The scope of this Law shall be to regulate relations in the sphere of apiculture, protection of apiarists’ rights, protection of honey bees and creation of favourable conditions for obtaining apiculture products. The purpose of the Law shall be to increase apiculture production and quality thereof. The Act consists of seven Sections divided into 21 articles: (1) general provisions; (2) rights and duties of apiarists; (3) specificity of apiculture; (4) state support; (5) apiculture associations; (6) offences and penalties; and (7) conclusive provisions. Apiarist shall have the following rights: (a) to choose recognized bee species for bee raising; (b) to ask local authority for the allotment of plots of land for apiculture; (c) to collect in case of continuing pursuit his own swarm that has settled down on a plot of land pertaining to another owner while the latter shall have no right to collect it; (d) to collect uncared for swarm that has settled down on his plot of land; (e) to file application for the issuance of licence for apiculture; and (f) to form association with other apiarists. Apiarist shall have the following duties: (a) to register apiary site and the number of hone bee colonies; (b) to inform the State Sanitary and Veterinary Service of the outbreak of disease; (c) to undertake honey bee protective arrangements; (d) to raise only recognized honey bee species; (e) to reproduce queen bees exclusively in accordance with licence; and (f) not to falsify apiculture products. The beekeeper is obliged to register the address of the stationary apiary, the number of bee colonies, and the address of the apiary owner in the information system; enter into the information system, within no more than 24 hours, information about the location of the nomadic apiary, indicating the apiary certificate number, the name/title of the apiary owner, the name of the responsible person, the landline and/or mobile phone number, the location of the nomadic apiary; use in bee breeding technology and in the treatment of bee diseases only registered and regulated by national standards veterinary drugs; not falsify beekeeping products. Apiary owners are obliged to annually register (re-register) in the information system the number of bee colonies and changes that have occurred in the permanent location address of the apiary before December 31. The apiary is permanently located on the territory owned by the beekeeper, subject to zootechnical standards, provisions of sanitary and veterinary legislation and requirements for environmental protection, protection of the population and animals. Veterinary and sanitary supervision and control over beekeeping activities throughout the country are carried out by the National Agency for Food Safety. The sale and use of veterinary drugs in the treatment of bees that are not included in the State Register of Veterinary Drugs is prohibited. The sale of queen bees is carried out with the mandatory presence of a breeding certificate for the queen bee. The owner of a breeding apiary submits an application to the National Agency for Food Safety for certification of queen bees before their sale.