On Wednesday 18 December, the European Parliament called for a drastic reduction in the use of pesticides in the EU to better protect bees and other pollinators, including through binding reduction targets.
The resolution adopted by MEPs considers the European initiative for pollinators launched in 2018 to be a welcome one, but stresses that it is by no means sufficient to halt the dramatic decline of these precious insects - a decline with multiple causes, including intensive agriculture, pesticides, climate change, land use change, habitat loss and invasive alien species.
As pollinators are essential for biodiversity, agriculture and the reproduction of many plants, MEPs are urging the Commission to present a comprehensive action programme with sufficient resources.
In doing so, they largely followed the recommendation of the Parliamentary Environment Committee and sent a strong message to the new European Commission (see EUROPE 12383/9)
They believe that reducing the use of pesticides has to become a major issue for the common agricultural policy.
MEPs advocate including binding reduction targets for pesticide use in the next revision of the EU directive on the sustainable use of pesticides (2009/128/EC) in order to further reduce pesticide residues in bee habitats.
In their view, pesticide use should be a common indicator to be taken into account in the evaluation of national measures.
Parliament is also calling for more funds to be allocated to support research into the causes of the decline of bees.
An amendment of the Greens calling for a ban on all neonicotinoids was adopted. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)