Research highlights a wide range of workable alternatives that reduce dependence on pesticides: Integrated Pest Management (IPM), biological control, ecological engineering, protective netting, natural insecticides, and mutual insurance schemes that protect farmers’ incomes.

Over the last decade, the European Union has built a framework of directives and regulations designed to reduce the environmental impact of pesticides and promote a transition toward sustainable farming.These laws should define how Europe will protect the health of its citizens and its ecosystems.

By 2008, European beekeepers had organised through the Task Force on European Beekeeping Coordination, calling for pesticide risk assessments that matched real-world conditions. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) responded. Between 2011 and 2013, its Bee Guidance Document introduced a revolutionary framework—one that finally considered not only acute toxicity but also chronic, larval, and sublethal impacts across different bee species.

BeeLife supports responsible science and innovation — welcoming new tools like microbial technologies when they are properly studied, monitored, and applied within clear ethical and ecological frameworks.

Beekeepers from Spain and Italy travelled to Cyprus at the end of August, where they were welcomed by the Pan-Cypriot Beekeepers Association, a pioneer in controlling Oriental Hornet.

Our latest Policy Brief (September 2025) calls for stronger EU action to safeguard pollinators, essential for food security, biodiversity, and healthy ecosystems.

On 29 September 2025, we submitted our response to the European Commission’s open consultation on the legislative proposal for Uniform Principles—a key amendment to Commission Regulation (EU) No 546/2011 governing the evaluation and authorisation of plant protection products.

BeeLife met with Alisa Tiganj, Cabinet Expert for Agriculture and Food in the team of Commissioner Hansen, to address key priorities for the beekeeping sector and for a sustainable European agriculture.

Recent years have shown us how quickly deregulation trends can undermine years of progress, whether it’s the relaxation of rules on pesticide reduction or questionable policy decisions that directly harm beekeeping businesses.

Under the pretext of “simplifying” EU legislation, the European Commission is considering revising or even weakening some of the key frameworks that ensure the safety of our food and the protection of our environment.

From September 26 to 28, Brussels hosted the first session of the Young Citizens Assembly on Pollinators, an initiative giving young Europeans a central role in shaping the future of biodiversity and food security.

Pollinating EU: A Collective Call for a Pollinator-Friendly Future. We brought together scientists, policymakers, legal experts, and civil society representatives to address one crucial question: How can we secure a pollinator-friendly Europe?