The European Commission is consulting the public until 9 June to gather as many views as possible on the planned revision of the EU pollinators initiative, adopted in 2018 to address the alarming decline of wild pollinating insects.
The EU institution is seeking the views of experts, stakeholders and citizens to strengthen the initiative and thus contribute to achieving the ambition of the EU’s 2030 Biodiversity Strategy.
A Commission report published in May 2021 concluded that the Pollinators Initiative is a useful policy instrument for the EU, Member States and stakeholders to tackle pollinator decline, but that significant challenges remain in tackling the various drivers of decline of insects crucial to ecosystem health (see EUROPE 12728/8).
Pollinating insects are essential to the functioning of ecosystems, food production, medicines and our well-being, the Commission recalls. However, one in ten species of bees and butterflies in Europe are endangered and a third of these species are in decline.
“More than 75% of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollination. Insect pollinators are vital for global food security, which is under particular pressure”, stressed the EU Commissioner for the Environment, Virginijus Sinkevičius, in a statement.
To access the public consultation: https://aeur.eu/f/ts (Aminata Niang)