Pollinators and Innovation and Knowledge exchange

Insect pollinators, such as bees, hoverflies and butterflies, feed on flowers, transfer pollen, and help plants to produce fruits and seeds. They provide a vital service to natural ecosystems and are essential to agricultural production. They are, however, increasingly under threat due to habitat loss, primarily caused by intensive agriculture, pesticide use, and high fertiliser inputs. Climate change, invasive alien species, and other environmental pollutants such as biocides also contribute to this decline.

In 2023, the European Commission revised the EU Pollinators Initiative to reverse the alarming decline of wild pollinators in Europe by 2030. The recently agreed Nature Restoration Law, a key element of the EU Biodiversity Strategy and the European Green Deal, is setting legal obligations for Member States to reverse the decline in pollinators and take measures to restore ecosystems, habitats and species across the EU, including on agricultural land.

The UN’s World Bee Day (#WorldBeeDay) takes place on 20 May every year to raise awareness of the essential role bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy. You may also be interested in the UN’s International Day for Biological Diversity on 22 May 2024.

You will find below a range of the activities of the EU CAP Network with a focus on innovation, knowledge exchange and EIP-AGRI related to the protection of pollinators.

Focus Groups