APIMONDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE
NEWS and EVENTS
The 46th APIMONDIA International Apicultural Congress,|
September 8-12, 2019
General Assembly of the Balkan Federation of Beekeeping Organizations
Slovenia, Gornja Radgona, 26th August 2018
Quality Standard "Good Beekeeping Practice Guide"
Targul National al Mierii, Editia a 20-a,
29-31 Martie 2019,
Bucuresti, Platforma Apicola Baneasa,
B-dul Ficusului Nr. 42, sector 1
Targuri Apicole 2019
6th International Mugla Beekeeping and Pine Honey Congress,
15-19 October 2018,
Oludeniz, Mugla, Turkey
APIQUALITY & APIMEDICA 2018,
The XI-th Congress of the
Romanian Society of Apitherapy,
11-16 October 2018,
Sibiu - ROMANIA
XXII CONGRESS OF APISLAVIA,
9-13 September 2018.
Union of beekeepers and beekeeping organizations of the country "BEEKEEPING"
2nd International Marmaris Apitherapy & Apicultural Products Symposium,
14-15 October 2017, Marmaris, Turkey
Al X-lea CONGRES NATIONAL DE APITERAPIE, cu participare internationala,
6-10 octombrie 2017, Sibiu, Romania
Targul Mierii Campina,
24-26 februarie 2017
XXI Apislavia Congress,
15-18 September 2016, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Al VIII-lea Congres de Apiterapie, Expo si Atelier practic cu participare internationala,
IASI, 30 octombrie -
02 noiembrie 2015
Targul de Miere,
1-2 octombrie 2011, Bucuresti
Targul de Miere,
12-13 martie 2011, Bucuresti
Targul de Miere, Bucuresti, 28-30 august 2009
Primul Simpozion National de Apiterapie si Apipunctura,
Bucuresti, 12 iunie 2009
Targ de contractari pentru Apicultura
Bucuresti, 3 aprilie 2009
Hazards of Pesticides to Bees
10th International Symposium
October 8-10, 2008
Symposium on General Management and Best Beekeeping Practice
"Beekeeping Simple and Clear"
Bucharest - Romania
September 11-14, 2008
Traditional Holiday of Ukrainian Beekeepers
Savior of the Honey Feast Day
Visit to Kiev, August 17-19, 2007
1st Balkan Countries Beekeeping
Congress and Exhibition
29 March - 1 April 2007, Istanbul, Turkey
"Balkan Beekeeping Honeymoon"
About > History
F.I.I.T.E.A. - Fundatia Institutul International de Tehnologie si Economie Apicola
A True Story
Cristian Constantinescu, Director IITEA
Erika Dumitrascu, Chief editor, Apimondia Publishing House
Marta Giogia, Economic Director, IITEA
Bucharest, February, 2002
The Beginnings of IITEA
In 1965 Prof. Veceslav Harnaj became President of APIMONDIA. At that time Prof. Harnaj was also Chairman of the Romanian Beekeeping Association and enjoyed national and international appreciation. This could not go unnoticed by some of the Romanian political leaders of the time who decided to tacitly accept him. With a good diplomatic behavior and a very focused mind, Prof. Harnaj succeeded in getting a certain "business freedom" which was unusual in a communist, state-owned, economy.
Under these circumstances, in 1966 Prof. Harnaj set up a small printing shop and the Apimondia Publishing House which produced the magazine Apiacta. At that time, private printing shops were illegal in Romania. Only the state printing enterprises were authorized to print. Prof. Harnaj obtained the tacit agreement of the authorities on the basis that all printings were in foreign languages and distributed outside Romania. Later on, the printing shop was allowed to sell in Romania since beekeeping was not considered "dangerous" to the political regime.
IITEA -Business Environment
Apart from selling printings, Prof. Harnaj entered a variety of import-export and even transit trade activities (purchasing from Russia - USSR and Hungary and selling in Italy and France) with beekeeping products, in particular beewax and beekeeping equipment, paying no duties or taxes according to Art. 1 of Decree 370/1970. At that time in Romania, only the state import/export enterprises were allowed to perform such activities.
Encouraged by his first business success, Prof. Harnaj turned the Publishing House into the Institute of Beekeeping Technology and Economy (IITEA) in 1970. To serve the purpose, Prof. Harnaj introduced the term "economic annex" (Decree 370/1970) which even at that time (state owned economy and no private property) did not have a legal basis. Maybe he just wanted to say that the unit was a branch/representative of a foreign organization to avoid conflict with Romanian authorities for his operations. In spite of the difficult economic environment but taking advantage of weaknesses in the communist rigid economy, Prof. Harnaj managed to make money, invested them into buildings both for IITEA and the Romanian Beekeeping Association and even purchased a villa in Castel Porziano near Rome, Italy.
In those times for a Romanian citizen it was illegal to hold western currency and take money out of Romania. Romanian citizens were not allowed to hold properties outside Romania. Prof. Harnaj also intended to purchase a palace downtown Rome on Corso Vittorio Emanuele not far from Confagricoltura and Apimondia offices. Secretary General Silvestro Cannamela realized the risks Prof. Harnaj was taking upon himself and tried as much as he could to temper the activities which were only normal in a capitalist free market society but banned in a totalitarian communist regime. L.R.J. van Rappard, a prominent member of the Executive Council of Apimondia, used to say that Prof. Harnaj had a brilliant business personality who would have been a very wealthy, respected and honored person in his country.
This is why the Executive Council of Apimondia was only taking note of the setting up of the Apimondia Publishing House and later on of it being turned into IITEA. Apimondia Statutes never included IITEA as one of its branches/"economic annexes"/representative. To serve his business purposes, Prof. Harnaj always presented his activities in Romania as being determined by Apimondia. In his preamble to the Decree 370/1970 or IITEA Regulations, Prof. Harnaj mentioned Apimondia as the initiator, but in fact Apimondia bodies never recognized in its resolutions such a status. The only mention was in 1978 in the "Regulations on Organization and Functioning of Apimondia Federation" attached to the Apimondia Statutes. We have no track of what happened to these "Regulations" later on. Art. 2/4 of the "Regulations" reads: Apimondia has the following specialized organizations: a) IITEA with its headquarters in Bucharest Romania; b) Apimondia Publishing House in Bucharest, Romania; c) Apimondia Center for documentation in Dol, Czechoslovakia.
Some domestic disputes within the Romanian Beekeping Association, conflict of personalities, "helped" along by anonymous letters addressed to Romanian authorities, led to a government financial control at IITEA in the late 70s. The communist leaders were amazed to discover such a flourishing capitalist unit among state owned crawling enterprises and decided to put an end to such activities. Such controls continued in the 80s and the Decree 54/1984 was issued, drastically limiting the activity of IITEA. Besides, IITEA had to pay 28 million Lei (an astronomic figure at that time) the equivalent of a few million dollars fine for not "observing the law".
Prof. Harnaj fell severly ill and was bed stricken. IITEA was close to bankruptcy. Out of more than 300 employees, IITEA, which included Apimondia Publishing House, was counting only 17 employees in 1984. The printing shop was near a standstill and no other economic activities were allowed or even possible. Exports and any deliveries were banned, and for three years, IITEA could not send even APIACTA to its subscribers. When the activity resumed, most of the clients had given up their subscriptions. Prof. Harnaj's sickness prevented him from continuing to be the manager of IITEA and passed it on to Mr. Nicolae Giurcaneanu in 1985, who six months later emigrated to Canada, and was followed by Mr. Cristian Constantinescu, chief editor of Apimondia Publishing House at the time of his appointment.
IITEA - A Difficult Time
Times were very difficult for the remaining employees. Their devotion, competence and perseverance contributed to a gradual restoration of activities and redevelopment of IITEA. It was even harder because IITEA was under the magnifying lenses of the authorities which were sending every year financial teams to check "the conformity with the law of IITEA activities". Even more, dictator Ceausescu nearly ordered demolition of the IITEA existing buildings at that time because of a new avenue that was to be built in the area. However, IITEA managed to survive, refurbished the facades of all buildings, and even a new building was raised. The new much improved look of the buildings determined the dictator to give up the idea of demolition.
The other problem was the discontentment of the leaders of the Association of Romanian Beekeepers (ACA) who wanted to take hold or at least get part of IITEA patrimony, thinking they had the right to take over the "goods" left behind by their former President, Prof. Harnaj. The late 80s and even 90s requested much diplomacy and careful attitude on behalf of IITEA management to prevent that from happening. Former President Borneck and Secretary General Cannamela helped IITEA manager in keeping ACA away. The IITEA Rules provided that in case of dissolution, all IITEA buildings were to be given, without charge, to ACA. Former ACA President Eugen Marza (deceased in 1999) even claimed a biding engagement from Apimondia President Borneck and Secretary General Jannoni that IITEA buildings would be given to ACA without charge, in case IITEA ceased to exist. That paper was signed in exchange of ACA promise to stay neutral/help IITEA abrogate Decree 54/1984. In the meantime most of Prof. Harnaj's close ACA collaborators passed away and the new ACA management has a different and positive approach. However, even today, IITEA is doing certain printing services, without charge, in favor of ACA.