Pollinating EU: A Collective Call for a Pollinator-Friendly Future

On 22 September 2025 BeeLife organised Pollinating EU conference at the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen. The event hosted by Zenia Stampe Members of Parliament (The Social Liberal Party - Radikale Venstre) brought together scientists, policymakers, legal experts, and civil society representatives to address one crucial question: How can we secure a pollinator-friendly Europe?

We wish to extend our sincere gratitude to all speakers and participants. Their insights underlined both the urgency and the opportunity of acting together for biodiversity, sustainable farming, and public health.

Highlights from the Speakers

Lucas Alejandro Garibaldi

Professor at the National University of Río Negro and a leading researcher on pollination ecology, Prof. Garibaldi presented compelling evidence on ecological intensification. His research demonstrated how integrating pollinator-friendly practices into farmland margins, such as leaving uncultivated strips, can boost yields in crops like sunflower while supporting biodiversity. Link to the presentation 

Pasquale Di Rubbo

Senior official at DG AGRI, Mr. Di Rubbo provided an overview of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), its budgetary priorities, and the new green architecture. He detailed the measures that can be mobilised for the beekeeping sector and underlines that now the  apiculture sector interventions are mandatory for all Member States, while the final designation of eligible operators remains at the national level.

Link to the presentation

Norman Carreck Science Director Carreck Consultancy Ltd, Dr. Carreck shared results from the INSIGNIA project. Using honey bee colonies as bio-monitoring tools, the research revealed omnipresent contamination from pesticides, microplastics, and metals, with residues such as DDT persisting in soils, and pesticides detected beyond nectar-related sources, highlighting bees’ crucial role as environmental sentinels. Link to the presentation

Noa Simon Delso Director of BeeLife, Dr. Simon Delso stressed the paradox of institutional silence at the European level. Despite legally binding commitments to protect human health, biodiversity, and reduce pollution, along with strong citizen mobilisation against pesticides, these signals are too often ignored leading to a dangerous erosion of public trust in democratic institutions. Link to the presentation

Lea Frimann Hansen Head of Division at the Danish Ministry of Environment, Ms. Hansen presented Denmark’s proactive measures to reduce pesticide risks, including dose and use restrictions, seasonal limitations, designated areas, and integrated pest management (IPM). She also underlined the government’s ambitious goal of reducing the national pesticide load by nearly 53% by 2026 (compared with 2011 levels), a target supported by the ban on 33 PFAS pesticide products. These steps reflect a clear national commitment to environmental recovery. Link to the presentation

Klaus Berend Director at DG SANTE, Mr. Berend introduced the new implementation plan for the Sustainable Use Directive (SUD). The focus now lies on Member States’ National Action Plans, with stronger pesticide risk assessments for bees forming a central pillar of the updated approach. Link to the presentation

Yoko Dupont Senior researcher at Aarhus University, Dr. Dupont emphasised the urgent need for better monitoring of pollinator decline. She advocated for comprehensive monitoring systems, capacity building, and knowledge-sharing initiatives to strengthen conservation strategies and guide agricultural biodiversity policies. Link to the presentation

Andreas Gumbert From DG Environment, Dr. Gumbert outlined the EU Pollinator Initiative and the Nature Restoration Law. He highlighted Article 10’s pollinator targets: reversing the decline of pollinator populations by 2030 and achieving positive trends thereafter. This requires obligatory, standardised, science-based monitoring embedded into EU legislation through delegated acts.

Link to the presentation

Filippo Traviglia Lawyer and founding partner of Fabrique Avvocati Associati, Mr. Traviglia presented the Giannutri case in Italy, which demonstrated how legal frameworks can prevent harmful decisions by public authorities against beekeeping businesses. He stressed the environmental and legal significance of beekeeping, showing how law can safeguard both livelihoods and ecosystems. Link to the presentation

Looking Forward

Pollinating EU was not only a conference but a demonstration of how dialogue among scientists, policymakers, farmers, legal experts and civil society can shape the future of biodiversity and agriculture in Europe.

We invite you to revisit the presentations and materials shared during the event:  👉 Access to all the presentations here

Together, we are building the knowledge, the legal frameworks, and the political momentum needed to protect pollinators essential allies for our health, our food systems, and the resilience of our planet.