Europe Getting Closer to Halting Bee Decline

The European Commission has reported on their work on the EU Pollinator Initiative, an EU-wide initiative to stop the declining bee population.

This was set out by the EU in 2018 to help stem the decline of bees, hoverflies, moths, and other pollinators. To start, substantive new advice was produced for local authorities to help them improve habitats for pollinators.

Bees and Pollinator’s decline responses

There has been further development of a new EU-wide monitoring scheme for pollinator abundance. The launch of Pollinator Park, an artificial reality garden devoid of pollinators to demonstrate their importance.

There has also been an initiation of a red list review of hoverfly status, there have been several scientific projects investigating pollination services. Finally, new commitments have been made to reduce pesticide use and restore biodiversity.

The report also notes that progress has been insufficient on incorporating pollinators into national plans, making the Common Agriculture Policy pollinator-friendly, and ensuring that pesticides take into account the risks posed to pollinators. This report coincides with the European Court of Auditor’s findings of 2020 that halting pollinator decline in Europe requires significantly increased focus on dedicated resources, including direct action to save red-listed pollinators, and a greater effort across Member States and European Commission rulings.

This further concurred with the European Parliament’s report of “Urgent Action needed to stop the decline of bees and other pollinators“. Later this year the Commission will present actions for the revised Pollinator Initiative.

These will include better incorporation of pollinator actions in agriculture programs, ad the implementation of protective pesticide safety testing for pollinators. They also want more action to reconnect habitat fragments with corridors of wildlife stepping-stones, also called “B-lines”.

There is also more action needed to save endangered pollinators from extinction and proposals tackling other threats to pollinators like pollution. As of now, the UK has mapped a network of pollinator corridors, but conservationists are waiting to see if proposals for halting pollinator declines will take focus in new Environmental Land Management schemes for landowners.

They also want to see if the Government will propose appropriate pesticide reduction under the Sustainable Use national plan. There is also desired focus on seeing Species Recovery Programs be introduced to address issues facing endangered species.

As of today, the UK pesticide approval process remains ‘in limbo’ after Brexit, and there has been no proposal to improve bee risk assessments.

Matt Shardlow, CEO of Buglife, an invertebrate conservation trust, said “While we have seen some really helpful pollinator conservation activity in the EU and the UK, the actions that will make the biggest differences improving agricultural practice, making pollinators safe from future pesticides, reconnecting habitat fragments and addressing the problems facing endangered species – are all largely incomplete. Biodiversity conservation is a key theme this year and fixing pollinator decline is central to achieving progress.”