"Our country is aware of the role of beekeeping and sustainable management of natural resources, so it would be right to show it to the Council of the EU with a symbolic gesture," reads the initiative, which has recently been addressed to the prime minister, the president and the heads of both chambers of parliament.

The beekeepers believe this special gift "epitomises the rich tradition of Slovenian beekeeping and the folk art of beehive decoration" while also presenting Slovenia as "a land of wood".

The association also recalls that Slovenia has donated beehives before, for instance to the Vatican and the United Nations.

It was in 2017 that the UN declared World Bee Day on Slovenia's initiative, in remembrance of Slovenian pioneer of beekeeping Anton Janša, who was born on 20 May, 1734.

The international day, celebrated in 2018 for the first time, acknowledges the role of bees and other pollinators for ecosystems.