A new deal for pollinators

In this article, EAR expert Sylviane Gony comments on the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the Revision of the EU Pollinators Initiative

The recent and well documented decline in wild pollinators and subsequent consequences for food security, human health, quality of life and function of ecosystems has raised strong concerns across global society. Around 80% of crop and wild-flowering plant species in Europe depend, at least to some extent, on animal pollination delivered by thousands of insect species. The dramatic loss of wild pollinators reported in recent years poses a threat to human wellbeing and nature, potentially undermining long-term agricultural productivity.

The EU Pollinators Initiative, adopted in 2018, is the first-ever EU framework to address the decline of wild pollinators, setting long-term objectives for 2030 and a comprehensive set of actions. Its main governance platform is ensured by a working group for pollinators under the EU Biodiversity platform.

The Communication presents a revised action framework for the EU Pollinators Initiative, setting out actions to be taken by the EU and its Member States in order to reverse pollinator decline by 2030. The action framework is based on progress in its implementation, identified gaps in key EU policies addressing the threats to wild pollinators by the European Court of Auditor’s special report, and the need to better integrate actions to protect wild pollinators in EU biodiversity conservation and agricultural policies. This revised Pollinators Initiative goes hand-by-hand with the Nature Restoration Law from June 2022 which includes a legally binding target for EU Member States to reverse the decline of pollinator populations by 2030,
and to maintain increasing trends thereafter.

The revised Pollinators Initiative sets objectives for 2030 and actions under three priorities (A detailed list of actions is presented in the annex of the communication):

Priority I: Improving knowledge of pollinator decline, its causes and consequences

• Establish a comprehensive monitoring system
  • The Commission and the Member States are working on a monitoring methodology, building on technical options for an EU Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (EU-PoMS), to rigorously measure the trends in pollinator abundance and diversity, and reliably assess progress towards reversing their decline. The Nature Restoration Law compels Member States to carry out yearly
    monitoring of pollinator species according to a standardized methodology. In addition, main threats to pollinator population should be assessed through information on the state of pollinator habitat in agricultural landscapes and the use of honeybee as bioindicator of the presence of pesticides and other pollutants.
• Support research and assessment
  • There is a need for a better understanding of the taxonomic and functional diversity of pollinator communities, their distributions, the threats they undergo and their interactions. Research will be supported by the EU framework program for research and innovation (Horizon Europe) as well as national programs. The development of assessment tools such as the Red List assessment and the EU-wide mapping of key pollinators areas is also planned.
• Promote capacity building and knowledge sharing
  • Monitoring and research are resource-intensive and will require strategic development of research infrastructure, monitoring and expertise. Online tools already exist, such as the EU Pollinator Information Hive and the Biodiversity Information System for Europe (BISE). Knowledge sharing through these tools will increase the efficiency of public investments and ensure transparency of the science – policy processes and decision making.

Priority II: Improving pollinator conservation and tackling the cause of their decline

• Improve conservation of pollinator species and habitats
  • Adequate areas of well-connected, high quality pollinator habitats will be managed through strategically planned restoration activities and appropriate land management to constitute protected areas for conserving the rich diversity of pollinator species. Species conservation plans provide information on the status, ecology, threats, and current conservation measures for each species, and are presently developed at the EU level for certain groups of pollinator species, for agricultural and forest across the EU, as well as for the Canary Islands. Pollinator conservation should be integrated in the Natura 2000 network. Habitat fragmentation by land use and changes in land use should be counteracted through a strategically planned network of habitat stretches forming ecological corridors for pollinators. Such “Buzz Lines” would enable species to move in search of food, shelter and nesting and breeding sites, as well as to potentially migrate for species impacted by climate change.
• Restore pollinator habitats in agricultural landscape
  • A greater uptake of pollinator-friendly agronomic techniques is key to reverse the decline of pollinators in agricultural landscapes. The EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is one of the main tools to support such a transition. Within the CAP, Member States can design strategic interventions that contribute to the specific economic, environmental and social objectives (incentives to farmers to implement environmentally friendly practices). The CAP Strategic Plans developed by Member States include a variety of actions with high potential for the protection of pollinators (e.g., increase of food supply by creating feeding areas).
• Mitigate the impacts of pesticide use on pollinators
  • The impact of pesticides, a main driver of pollinator decline, must be mitigated by targeted policies and practices. The EU Farm to Fork Strategy and the Biodiversity strategy aim to reduce the use of more hazardous pesticides by 50% by 2030, target implemented by the proposed Regulation of the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products (SUR). As part of draft SUR, the Commission also proposed a ban on the use of pesticides in sensitive areas and an increase uptake of integrated pest management (IPM) with a hierarchy of interventions from low-risk measures to chemical pesticides only used as last resort. One growing concern is the granting of emergency authorizations by Member States for pesticides no longer approved at EU level. The Commission will mandate EFSA to verify whether the justifications provided by Member States are valid. The commission is working towards reinforcing the risk assessment of pesticides for pollinators and there is an urgent need to accelerate the availability of test methods for determining the toxicity of pesticides for wild pollinators. It is also necessary to ensure that co-formulants are prohibited from plant protection product formulations when they are considered to have an unacceptable effect on the environment.
• Enhance pollinator habitats in urban areas
  • Urban areas, if properly planned and managed, can provide stepping-stone habitats (public parks, private gardens, urban farms, green walls and roofs) improving habitat connectivity and providing refuges to pollinators in wider landscapes deprived of floral resources. The Commission has developed guidance on pollinator-friendly cities, which should be widely applied. Moreover, urban areas should play an important role in scaling up the involvement of citizens in conservation activities.
• Reduce the impact of invasive alien species on pollinators
  • To prevent further introduction and spread of invasive alien species that may prey on pollinators, be vector of new diseases or compete with them for food sources, with potentially severe impact on pollinator populations, they should be included in the list of invasive alien species of Union concern. Increasing the availability of non-chemical management options for the management of sensitive areas (to prevent the spreading of an alien species due to the reduction in pesticide use) and the promotion of the use of pollinator-friendly native plants should further reduce the risk of introduction and spread of alien species.
• Tackle climate change and other causes of pollinator decline
  • European ecosystems will inevitably be affected by climate change over the coming decades. Many species are expected to change their distribution range to adapt to altered climatic conditions. Therefore, it is important to identify the most vulnerable zones for pollinators in this context, and to devise and implement targeted mitigation measures.

Priority III: Mobilising society and promoting strategic planning and cooperation at all levels

• Help citizens and businesses to act
  • Communication, mobilization, and networking activity should help in mobilising European citizens in monitoring and conservation activity. Particular attention should be given to the youth, since the decline of pollinators is expected to impact future generations. Engagement of key business sectors should be further facilitated through existing networks.
• Promote strategic planning and cooperation at all levels
  • The Pollinators Initiative will need to be translated into well-devised strategic approaches at national, regional, and local levels. National pollinator strategies should be translated into action plans at regional and local levels, with all relevant stakeholders. Finally, EU efforts to reverse the pollinator decline should contribute to the international efforts under the International Pollinators Initiative and through other relevant international forums.

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