Europe is facing significant declines in flying bees, moths and other pollinators. This is a worrying trend, considering that an estimated third of the leading global food crop types can benefit from animal pollination and around 88% of wild flowering plants rely on this irreplaceable ecosystem service.

Effective action on the ground and at policy level is needed to tackle the drivers of the harmful trend. To the benefit of both, the preservation of our terrestrial biodiversity and of agricultural production.

EU Takes (Pollinator Protection) Initiative

The European Commission has come to acknowledge the gravity of the issue and currently develops an “EU Initative on Pollinators”.  EUROPARC very much welcomes this engagement and seeks to support the process with its network and expertise. The European Habitats Forum (EHF), which EUROPARC is member of, has just launched a Position Paper , outlining its views on the causes and consequences of pollinator declines, giving recommendations to mitigate the development.

Protected Areas and Pollinator Protection: Priority To Habitat Connectivity & Protection

The joint call of European Habitats Forum members to the European Commission is clear. Priorities must be to:

• restore essential pollinators’ habitats and increase their connectivity in agricultural landscapes;
• address harmful subsidies and incentives in the Common Agriculture Policy and replace them with incentives for practices benefitting pollinators;
• prevent the harmful impact of pesticides by ensuring their sustainable use reviewing the pesticides approval process, and addressing the problem of abusive derogations and lack of transparency on the actual use of pesticides in the EU.

Have your say: Public Consultation on Pollinators – Last Call 5th April

Currently the last hours of public consultation on priorities for the EU Initiative on Polllinators are running. The questionnaire covers the causes and consequences of pollinator declines, potential mitigation measures and the EU dimension to the problem and takes about 20 minutes to be answered. Make sure you have your Protected Areas’ voices heard in the consultation, ensuring their valuable role is considered in the design of measures to be taken in the upcoming months!