In order to call on the European Union to [take actions aimed at] “[p]rotecting and restoring Europe’s wild pollinators and their habitats”, the European Environment Agency (EEA) published a brief on Wednesday, 18 June—the eve of a debate in the European Parliament on the subject (see EUROPE 13663/25).
In the press release for its brief, the EEA established that “[a]round 80% of EU crop and wildflower species rely on insect pollination”—while estimating the economic value that pollination provides to agriculture in the EU to be between €5 billion and €15 billion per year, “with crops like apples, tomatoes, almonds and sunflowers dependent on these services”.
At a time when almost 40% of hoverfly species, 20% of butterflies, and 9% of bees are threatened with extinction and when the use of pesticides as well as intensive agriculture and forestry have been identified as causes of this decline, the EEA has called for these models to be reconsidered. Reiterating that the presence of different semi-natural habitats, landscape components, and diversified crops is “essential” for pollinators, the EEA also shared examples of initiatives carried out by Ireland, Norway, and Estonia.
See the analysis: https://aeur.eu/f/hht (Original version in French by Florent Servia)