Insect pollination is a vital driving force, essential for plant reproduction, our supply of healthy food and around € 15 billion worth of the EU’s annual agricultural production. In Europe, most pollinators are insects such as bees, hoverflies, butterflies, moths, some wasps and beetles. Bees are the most prominent group, with about 2000 wild species.
Wild pollinators are in strong decline. One in ten bee and butterfly species in Europe is on the verge of extinction. To address this decline, the European Commission adopted in June 2018 the first ever EU Pollinators Initiative. It proposes actions to improve knowledge of pollinator decline, its causes and consequences, to tackle the causes of their decline and to raise awareness, engage society and promote collaboration on the issue.
EU Commissioner for Environment, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Karmenu Vella said: “Our quality of life – and our future – depends on the many services that nature provides for free. Pollination is one of these invisible, but invaluable services, so it is very worrying to learn that some of our top pollinators are at high risk! If we don’t address the reasons behind the decline in wild pollinators, and act urgently to stop it, we and our future generations will pay a very heavy price indeed.”
The communication activities will run in the next two years, creating opportunities for public authorities, researchers, farmers, businesses, and individual citizens to engage in the protection of pollinators.
- Publication date
- 21 March 2019
- Author
- Directorate-General for Environment
- Location
- Brussels
Related news
From 12 August 2026, new rules on packaging and packaging waste apply in the EU. This will change the way products are packaged to protect the environment and people’s health. It will also create opportunities for businesses.
The Directive on repair of goods became national law across EU countries on 31 July 2026. This will help create a system that favours repairing a product over purchasing a new one.
The Commission proposes to simplify environmental rules in the areas of industrial emissions, circular economy, environmental assessments and geospatial data. This will allow business to save around €1 billion annually, while the EU to continue to protect the environment and human health.
The European Commission welcomes the signature, on behalf of the European Union, of the Council of Europe Convention on the protection of the environment through criminal law.