Specific requirements and housing conditions in beekeeping
Article 13
1. The siting of the apiaries shall be such that, within a radius of 3 km from the apiary site, nectar and pollen sources consist essentially of organically produced crops and/or spontaneous vegetation and/or crops treated with low environmental impact methods equivalent to those as described in Article 36 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 ( 12 ) or in Article 22 of Council Regulation 1257/1999 ( 13 ) which cannot affect the qualification of beekeeping production as being organic. The above mentioned requirements do not apply where flowering is not taking place, or the hives are dormant. 2. The Member States may designate regions or areas where beekeeping complying with organic production rules is not practicable. 3. The hives shall be made basically of natural materials presenting no risk of contamination to the environment or the apiculture products. 4. The bees wax for new foundations shall come from organic production units. 5. Without prejudice to Article 25, only natural products such as propolis, wax and plant oils can be used in the hives. 6. The use of chemical synthetic repellents is prohibited during honey extractions operations. 7. The use of brood combs is prohibited for honey extraction.