Bees and flowers – Image © Budimir Jevtic – Fotolia
(BRUSSELS) – With one in three bee, butterfly and hoverfly species disappearing in the EU, the EU Commission set out Tuesday a ‘new deal for pollinators’ to tackle the alarming decline in Europe’s wild pollinating insects.
Pollinators are an integral part of healthy ecosystems. Without them, many plant species would decline and eventually disappear along with the organisms that depend on them, which would have serious ecological, social and economic implications. With around 80% of crop and wild-flowering plants depending on animal pollination, pollinator loss is one of the largest threats to EU nature.
The revised EU Pollinators Initiative sets objectives for 2030 and actions under three priorities. The key priority is improving pollinator conservation and tackling the causes of their decline. This will be done through:
- Better conservation of species and habitats for example, the Commission will finalise conservation plans for threatened pollinator species; it will identify pollinators typical of habitats protected under the Habitats Directive which Member States should protect; and the Commission jointly with Member States will prepare blueprint for a network of ecological corridors for pollinators, or ‘Buzz Lines’.
- Restoring habitats in agricultural landscapes notably through more support for pollinator-friendly farming under the Common Agricultural Policy.
- Mitigating the impact of pesticide use on pollinators for example through legal requirements to implement integrated pest management or through additional test methods for determining the toxicity of pesticides for pollinators, including sub-lethal and chronic effects. As the excessive use of pesticides is a key driver of pollinator loss, reducing the risk and use of pesticides as per the Commission’s Sustainable Use of Pesticides proposal will be critical.
- Enhancing pollinator habitats in urban areas.
- Tackling the impacts on pollinators of climate change, invasive alien species and other threats such as biocides or light pollution.
The initiative will also focus on improving knowledge of pollinator decline, its causes and consequences. Actions include establishing a comprehensive monitoring system, supporting research and assessment for example by mapping Key Pollinator Areas by 2025, and targeted actions to promote capacity-building and dissemination of knowledge.
A final priority is mobilising society and promoting strategic planning and cooperation. The Commission will support Member States to develop national pollinator strategies. The Commission and Member States shall also help citizens and business to act, for example by raising public awareness and supporting citizen science.
The full list of actions can be found in the Annex to the Communication ‘A New Deal for Pollinators’.
The Commission now invites the European Parliament and the Council to endorse the new actions.
A New Deal for Pollinators - guide
Communication on ‘A New Deal for Pollinators’ and Annex
EU Pollinators Initiative – Environment – European Commission (europa.eu)
Commission Staff Working Document Drivers of food security
