May 13, 2019

European Elections 2019 - An inside view of Pollinator Protection in the EU

Updated: May 14, 2019

European elections will take place soon (from 23 to 26 May 2019). Among the many topics that can be of concern to citizens, BeeLife stresses the importance of protecting bees, pollinators and biodiversity in general. Upcoming elections can be a turning point and allow the new European Parliament to meet the challenges we face: the establishment of a sustainable European food policy and a global "One health" system (environmental health, human and animal health).

In Europe, "around 80% of domestic environmental law originates from EU legislation" [1]. Thus, in the next elections, the vote of every citizen will have an impact on the future of our environment. The quality of the latter is deteriorating and more effective measures are needed around the world. Europe must be ambitious. It even has the opportunity to become an example at the international level. We now know that human activity causes the disappearance of species at a rate between "tens to hundreds of times higher than the average of the last 10 million years" [2]. Scientists have brought the evidence, it is now our duty as citizens to fix it.

To improve the protection of biodiversity, including pollinators, Europe needs legislators and measures that first take into account the interests of citizens and their environment rather than the private interests of industry giants. The ban of three active substances in the neonicotinoid family is an excellent example that beekeepers celebrated last year [3]. However, these measures must be associated with appropriate monitoring and require a more holistic approach. In the case of plant protection products and other biocidal products, the protection of pollinators, both domestic and wild, and of the environment (water and soil quality) requires a risk assessment process related to pesticides worthy of the name, transparent and independent, which proves that our environment and our future are a priority.

Before the elections, we offer you an overview of the work of the European institutions in protecting pollinators. We met with several Members of the European Parliament so that they could directly explain this work to the citizens. In the interviews conducted, you will find three essential points:

- different visions on the future of the common agricultural policy,

- protection of bees and pollinators through legislation

- a global vision of the future of environmental policy.

You can now watch our series of interviews with MEPs. The first video we present today is a short compilation on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The #CAP is an emblematic policy of the European Union. It absorbs more than 40% [4] of the total budget and has a direct impact on farmers' livelihoods, food security, environmental protection and even on creating better conditions for collaboration between farmers and beekeepers.