Debate: Revised pollinators initiative -  a new deal for pollinators
Date: WEDNESDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Dubravka Šuica
Language: EN

Hence, the Commission revision of the 2018 pollinator initiative, with the new framework adopted in January this year. Together with the proposals for nature restoration and the sustainable use of plant protection products, it forms a new deal for pollinators with the potential to reverse the decline. The trilogues on nature restoration are over, political validation is now taking place by both co-legislators, and our binding target to halt the decline of pollinators by 2030 is now in sight. This target will be crucial for their effective protection.  I will try to reply to your questions. You ask how the Commission assesses the compliance of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) strategic plans with the goals of the pollinators initiative, and how the current CAP measures on biodiversity can help protect pollinators. Based on an assessment of the local conditions and needs, Member States prepared a national CAP strategic plans for the period 2023–2027, explaining how they will channel support to achieve the economic, environmental and social objectives of the CAP. The Commission assessed how CAP support can bring positive effects on pollination and ecosystem connectivity in the agricultural land. The strategic plans have been in place in place since January, and they support numerous practices that bring benefits to biodiversity and pollinators. Enhanced conditionality with a range of environmental conditions to be met by all farmers receiving CAP support now covers some 90% of all EU agriculture areas. Almost EUR 100 billion – one third of the entire CAP budget – is used to support the environmental and climate transition to 2027. Ecoschemes make up at least 25% of the budget for direct payments, and rural development instruments allocate at least 35% of their budget to environmental practices supporting our organic farming and landscape features, reducing pesticide use, and conserving or restoring biodiversity on agricultural land. Member States can make adjustments in the plans to ensure the appropriate uptake of the interventions, while maintaining the overall level of environmental ambition. The updated guidance document for the risk assessment of bees from the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) has been much approved and now applies to more pollinator species. It will be applied by amending the relevant implementing regulations very soon. The risk of pesticides to non-bee pollinators is included in the general approach for non-target arthropods. As a major input for this, the EFSA has started updating the guidance document for terrestrial eco toxicology. In addition, ongoing research will enable a more system-based environmental risk assessment for pesticides and may allow further revisions of the risk assessment methodology.  Now to question two – a question on indicators and monitoring. The revised pollinators initiative will establish a holistic monitoring framework, enabling us to assess the state of pollinator populations and investigate key drivers of their decline. A number of monitoring initiatives along these lines have been launched by the Commission in the last five years. Looking to the future, it will be important to integrate a wild pollinator indicator that will be developed under the Nature Restoration Law in the future performance monitoring and evaluation framework of the CAP, recognising their critical importance. The Commission is developing options for a farmland pollinator indicator, which should cover the most relevant pollinator groups on the basis of a methodology that is scientifically robust. Now, just quickly, the reply to question three – a few words on capacity building to finish with. One major impediment of effective pollinator monitoring is simply a lack of tools and experts. That is why the Commission is now implementing the ORBIT and Taxo-Fly projects, building essential tools for professional taxonomists and citizen scientists. We are also considering options for supporting the training of new taxonomy experts.  And lastly, the youth for pollinators pilot project, largely funded by this House, envisages a small grants facility for youth projects. The results will increase our understanding of the cost-benefit ratio of small grants and the best ways to address implementation challenges.