DISINFO: The EU hinders exports of Georgian honey to EU market
SUMMARY
Georgian honey will never gain access to the European market, because the EU adopted special regulations which Georgia will fail to fulfill. There should be no pit latrines in an eight-kilometer radius from beehives that is unimaginable in Georgian reality. Georgian products will never gain a foothold on European and American markets, because no such opportunities have been opened up.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative on the EU destroying Georgia's economy. After signing the Association Agreement (AA) with the EU and DCFTA, pro-Kremlin actors have been exploiting the disinformation that Georgian products will not have access to the European market. In 2016, the European Union included Georgia in the list of “third countries” and allowed Georgian honey to be imported to the EU. Exports of Georgian products to the EU market are regulated under the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA), according to which Georgian honey enjoys quota-free access to the EU market. Beehives must be positioned in an area within a radius of 3 km, free of contamination by chemicals, rather than 8 km, as claimed. The ENPARD-supported State Program to Support Beekeeping Agriculture Cooperatives was launched in 2017. The program improves the material and technical base of agriculture beekeeping cooperatives and increases the quality and quantity of honey and other beekeeping products through providing capital investment for agriculture cooperatives. 150 beekeeping cooperatives were granted with over 11,190 beehives and other equipment important for honey production. See earlier disinformation case that Georgia does not benefit from free trade agreement here. See more disinformation cases on Georgia, DCFTA and AA by Myth Detector.