Slovenia has already unveiled the initiative in the European Parliament and is hoping to drum up broader EU support for the motion which it is hoping to put to the United Nations for confirmation.

The global honeybee day would coincide with the birthday of the pioneer of modern beekeeping Slovenian Anton Janša and would work to raise public awareness about the importance of honeybees for pollination and the need to protect them from growing threats.

The motion will be debated as part of a ministerial focusing on a proposal for regulating organic farming in the bloc, which will be debated with the European Parliament before finalisation.

Židan will be one of two Slovenian ministers in Brussels for EU meetings, with Finance Minister Dušan Mramor taking part in a eurozone meeting dedicated to tackling Greece's mountain of debt.