EU Pollinators Initiative (revised 2025)

EU New Deal for Pollinators

^12/9/25

The revised EU Pollinators Initiative, a “New Deal for Pollinators”, was published on 24 Jan 2023. This aims to reverse the decline of wild pollinators in the EU and contribute to global action.

The EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, supported by the commitments in the EU Green Deal and the EU Farm to Fork Strategy, provide the context for EU Member States and the Commission’s commitments to reverse the decline in wild pollinators by 2030. The EU Nature Restoration Regulation makes this target binding.

On publication of the New Deal for Pollinators, BCE commented:

"BCE welcomes the publication of the revised EU Pollinators Initiative today. It is essential to the well-being of all EU citizens and to food security to reverse the decline in wild pollinators. Action to increase the contribution of both agricultural and urban areas is vital to this. We call on Member States and the EU Parliament to support the proposed EU Nature Restoration Law commitments to pollinator recovery. We call for significant investments by Member States and the EU to implement the Initiative, including reducing threats eg from pesticides and putting in place more pollinator-friendly measures on farms and in urban areas and to monitoring the outcomes for bees, moths, butterflies and hoverflies and their habitats and to secure their recovery by 2030."

The EU overview of the Pollinator Initiative states:

“Europe is home to an amazing variety of insects that pollinate crops and wild plants. This variety is essential for a healthy nature and our well-being. However, in recent decades, wild-insect pollinators such as bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and moths have dramatically declined in abundance and diversity in Europe. Many species are on the verge of extinction. Without pollinators, our food security will be at risk and many plant species will decline and eventually disappear. This threatens the survival of nature, human wellbeing, and the economy.”

Objectives of the New Deal for Pollinators:

1. Improving knowledge of pollinator decline, its causes and consequences
2. Improving pollinator conservation and tackling the causes of declines
3. Mobilising society and promoting strategic planning and cooperation at all levels

Action Framework

Status of the New Deal for Pollinators

The Initiative is a non-binding policy document, published by the EU Commission as a Communication, and invites the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers to endorse this new action framework and to actively engage in its implementation, in close cooperation with all relevant stakeholders. As it is a Communication it does not promise any specific new funding, referring instead, at various points, to using existing EU funds, including LIFE, CAP, Cohesion and Horizon funds.

Binding Commitment to reversing declines in wild pollinators in the EU Nature Restoration Regulation

The New Deal for Pollinators refers to the binding commitments to the recovery of pollinators by 2030, contained in the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, and to the need to finalise the EU Pollinator Monitoring methodology (EU PoMs) and carry out pollinator monitoring.

Monitoring Wild Pollinators – a crucial contribution to ensuring effective action

The EU PoMs monitoring methodology, covering bumble bees, solitary bees, hoverflies , moths and butterflies, was trialled in several countries through the SPRING project.

SPRING – “Supporting Pollinator Recovery through Indicators and Monitoring”. The SPRING project concluded in November 2023 and aimed to support the preparation for the implementation of the EU Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (EU PoMS) for wild bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and moths, utilizing both volunteer and professional recorders. The project was led by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Germany, with partners including the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Butterfly Conservation Europe (BCE), and others.is led by UFZ in Germany with the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), Butterfly Conservation Europe, Butterfly Conservation (UK) and many other partners.

Monitoring schemes, policy relevant indicators and key achievements of SPRING

The SPRING project supported the expansion of the long-established eBMS citizen science, volunteer monitoring of butterflies, which underpins the calculation of the EU Grassland Butterfly Indicator, which is included in the EU Dashboard for assessing progress in implementing the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030. This indicator is also part of the EU Sustainable Development Indicator set.

The project expanded the geographical coverage of the eBMS schemes across the EU in the EU Parliamentary Project ABLE to six new EU countries: Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, and Romania. As a result, complete coverage of eBMS partnerships across all 27 EU Member States was achieved, including the original scheme in the UK.

The SPRING project consortium has shared its lessons learned and provided recommendations to the European Commission to finalize the monitoring protocol and initiate the rollout of pollinator monitoring across the EU. The project's final report, released in July 2025, provides comprehensive insights into the project's findings and recommendations for the EU Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (EU-PoMS).

The refined EU-PoMS methodology, incorporating insights from the SPRING project, was finalized in October 2024. This methodology provides updated options for standardized monitoring of wild pollinators and supports the development of scientifically robust indicators for CAP evaluation. Furthermore, the STING+ initiative, launched in 2024, established a new expert pool named SIMPOLL (Sampling strategy, Indicators, and Monitoring methodology for EU POLLinators). This group continues to refine pollinator indicators and monitoring strategies, ensuring that they align with the EU's biodiversity targets and support the assessment of CAP's impact on pollinator conservation.

Details of the EU Pollinator Initiative (PI) “A New Deal for Pollinators”

The revised PI expects EU Member States (MSs) to deploy the (to be) agreed EU Pollinator Monitoring (PoMs) methodology by 2026 and so be able to assess by 2030 whether pollinator declines (at EU and MSs levels) have been reversed. It repeats/ reinforces the need for better implementation of several existing obligations and aspirations eg, calling for MSs to use CAP Strategic Plans and measures to support pollinators and looks to future CAP reform to be more pollinator-friendly; promotes more measures in urban areas; and stresses the need for a crackdown on damaging pesticide use and toxicity, with a better assessment of effects on bees.

It has some useful new actions, which will help to support recovery of butterflies and moths, as well as wild bees and hoverflies:

• Commission and MSs to Identify and map Key Pollinator Areas (2.3)
• MSs to Increase capacity for Pollinator ID skills (taxonomy) (3.1)
• Commission and MSs to Support development of research infrastructure for improving the knowledge base (3.5)
• MSs to enhance capacity of Farm Advisory Services for pollinator conservation and restoration (5.3)
• Commission to promote actions to mitigate the impacts of pesticide use on pollinators (6,1 - 6.6)
• Commission Guidance on pollinator-friendly native plants and mixes (8.3)
• Identify with EEA the most vulnerable zones for pollinators in the context of climate change and promote mitigation measures (9.1)
• MSs to introduce policies to mitigate the adverse impact of light pollution – particularly important for moths (9.2)
• Commission and MSs to promote citizen science and youth engagement in monitoring and conservation of pollinators (10.2)

The Expert Pollinator Working Group, under the governance of the EU Biodiversity Platform and chaired by the European Commission, continues to meet regularly. The PollinERA project was presented at the 8th meeting of this group in July 2024. Moreover, the European Commission has funded research projects, such as the Safeguard project, which aim to expand knowledge on the status and trends of European wild pollinators. These projects work towards developing management and policy guidelines to safeguard wild pollinators and the benefits they provide.

There is strong public support for more decisive action to reverse declines in pollinators.

For instance, the EU Citizen’s Initiative “Save Bees and Farmers!” was registered in September 2019 and gathered over 1 million signatures:

“To protect bees and people's health, we call on the Commission to propose legal acts to phase out synthetic pesticides by 2035, to restore biodiversity, and to support farmers in the transition”.

In April 2023 the EU Commission published their response:

The EU Parliament’s Plenary is due to vote on the draft EU Nature Restoration Law on 12 July 2023 and it is vital that this is supported and the EU BDS 2030 Strategy target to reverse declines in wild pollinators is placed on a statutory basis and action to restore habitats and ecosystems is funded.

Background

• The International Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystems (IPBES) published an Assessment Report on Pollinators in 2016.
• In 2018 the EU issued a public consultation on developing an EU Pollinators Initiative and this drew a big response from the public. BCE, together with Buglife (The Invertebrate Conservation Trust) and other NGOs, who are members of the European Habitats Forum, published a paper, on 5 April 2018, in response , entitled “The EU Pollinators Initiative - What will success look like?”, This set out the case for positive active to reverse declines in butterflies and other wild insect pollinators with specific proposals for an effective Initiative. The full text is available here.
• On 1 June 2018, the EU Commission published a Communication (COM (2018) 395 final) setting out the first EU Pollinators Initiative. This was welcomed by the EU Parliament and supported by the EU Council of Ministers and the EU Economic and Social Committee.
• In December 2018 the French government published its Action Plan for the restoration of threatened butterflies in France.
• In September 2019 the German government BMU published their “German Action Plan for Insect Conservation” setting out plans to fund restoration action plans for wild pollinating insects in Germany.
• The EU Parliament published a Resolution on revising the Pollinators Initiative on 10 December 2019 (2019/2803(RSP)).
• In May 2021 the EU Commission published a Progress Report on the Implementation of the Initiative.
• In Spring 2022 the EU Commission issued a public consultation on revising the Initiative, to which BCE provided a response on 9 June 2022
• In November 2023, the EEA published a Future Brief on light pollution, which introduces various mitigation measures that can be implemented to protect the environment from light pollution. The brief discusses the types of light pollution, their impacts on wildlife and ecosystems, and ways to measure light pollution. It also provides case studies of successful use of mitigation measures to reduce the negative impacts of artificial light at night (ALAN) on biodiversity.
• An Expert Pollinator Working Group, under the Governance of the EU Biodiversity Platform, has been set up, chaired by the EU Commission with Member States and Stakeholders, to support and drive practical implementation of the Initiative. BCE is a member of this Working Group, It has met 5 times up to the end of June 2023 and set priorities and steps to operationalise the commitments.
• In December 2024, the European Commission has launched the PollHab project (effective December 2024–December 2026) to implement Action 4.2,. Its objective: to define criteria for selecting pollinator species representative of Annex I habitats, compile a list of such species, and recommend suitable management measures for inclusion in Natura 2000 site management plans.
• In June 2024 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, the workshop were organized to bring together farm advisors, researchers, policymakers, and farmers. It focused on sharing best practices, discussing capacity?building needs, and exploring demonstration methods to support pollinator-friendly practices on farms.
• In January 2025, over 85 organizations, including environmental, health, and human rights groups, as well as farm worker unions and farmer organizations, created a Roadmap for Pesticide Phase-Out for EU policymakers. This document outlines key demands and actionable steps to reduce pesticide use and risk across Europe, advocating for an agricultural future that prioritizes human health, environmental protection, and a fair, secured future for farmers.
• In May 2025, a cross-visit event in Romania gathered EIP-AGRI Operational Groups, including farm advisors and practitioners. It facilitated peer-to-peer learning and shared innovative pollinator-related agricultural strategies.
• In July 2025, a high-level workshop brought together DG ENV, EEA, JRC, ETC-BE, and Horizon-funded projects to advance the methodology and implementation of KPA mapping, including linking them through ecological corridors known as ‘Buzz-Lines’. The Commission, in collaboration with Member States and the European Environment Agency, is committed to identify and map Key Pollinator Areas across the EU by 2025.
• The SPRING project (2021–2023) provided taxonomic training for both citizen scientists and professionals, and led to the creation of the Pollinator Academy, an online hub for identification tools and training resources.
• The WildPosh project (2024–2027), funded by Horizon, is advancing field-level data on pesticide exposure, developing comprehensive monitoring protocols, and generating innovative risk?assessment and mitigation tools explicitly focused on wild pollinators.
• The EPIC project (2025–2026) builds upon SPRING by delivering tiered training, basic to advanced, for para-taxonomic experts across all EU Member States, further expanding education and work opportunities in pollinator taxonomy.

BCE commented that “Wild insect pollinators are intrinsically important for the pollination services provided to crops, wild and cultivated flowers, underpinning ecosystem health, resilience, food security and ultimately human well being. Research and monitoring show declines, pressures, and adverse impacts of sectoral activities, including pesticides, habitat loss, abandonment, nitrogen emissions, and climate change. It's urgent to step up action to address causes; and increase understanding and capacity at all levels and across sectors to act in ways beneficial to wild bees, bumble bees, hoverflies, moths, and butterflies and their habitats. Funding for monitoring, rolling out EU PoMS, supporting citizen science and Pollinator NGOs, and incentivising practical actions across the EU is urgently needed. An ambitious programme of action at scale supported by DGs Agri and Sante and MSs' Agri Ministries as well as DG Env and inclusion of a binding target for pollinator recovery in EU Nature Restoration Law is vital.”