The alarming decline of insects that pollinate crops and wild plants “puts food security at risk”, the European Commission has warned.
The commission has published a progress report on EU measures to protect pollinators, which highlights the “urgency” for action.
Around €3.7 billion of the EU’s annual agricultural output is directly dependent on insect pollinators.
In 2018, the commission adopted the first EU Pollinators Initiative, which seeks to address the decline of wild pollinating insects.
By the end of 2020, more than 30 actions have been implemented across three priority areas: improving knowledge of pollinator decline; tackling the causes of pollinator decline; engaging the public and promoting cooperation to halt the decline.
EU-wide scheme to soon be deployed
Under the initiative, an EU-wide scheme monitoring pollinators’ species to better understand the status of their populations and the causes of their decline has been developed.
It will soon be deployed on the ground throughout the EU. The commission has established a dedicated pollinator-information system and launched a series of tailored research initiatives.
Efforts need to be stepped up, however, to address in particular the loss of habitats in farming landscapes and the impacts of pesticides, the commission has said.
Pollinating insects “are crucial for the functioning of ecosystems, our food security, for medicines and our wellbeing”.
However, one in 10 bee and butterfly species in Europe are on the verge of extinction, and one-third of them are in decline.
Food security as risk
Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius said that the alarming decline of insects that pollinate crops and wild plants puts food security at risk and threatens our survival and that of nature as a whole.
He added that further mainstreaming of pollinator conservation into the CAP and pesticide legislative framework will be critical.
Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides added that protecting pollinators will remain a “crucial ambition” under the European Green Deal, and will contribute to achieving the objectives of the Farm to Fork strategy, including a 50% reduction in the use and risk of chemical pesticides.
“When we approve or remove active substances for plant protection from the market, we always take into account the importance of ensuring a high level of protection of bees and other pollinators,” she added.
Next steps
In the second half of 2021, the commission will launch consultation activities to collect views and more comprehensive evidence from experts, stakeholders and citizens for the possible improvement of the EU Pollinators Initiative, identifying further measures for the implementation of its long-term objectives.
The commission said it will then take into account the feedback received and consider the scope for revising the initiative.