Budget de l’UE – la politique agricole commune  après 2020

Pour le prochain budget à long terme de l’UE 2021-2027, la Commission propose de moderniser et de simplifier la politique agricole commune (PAC). Avec un budget de 365 milliards d’euros, ces propositions garantissent que la PAC reste une politique d’avenir, soutenant les agriculteurs et les communautés rurales, menant le développement de l’agriculture européenne vers plus de durabilité et reflétant l’ambition de l’UE en matière de protection de l’environnement et du climat. Les propositions d’aujourd’hui confèrent aux États membres plus de flexibilité et de responsabilité pour choisir comment et où investir leur financement de la PAC afin d’atteindre les objectifs ambitieux fixés au niveau européen pour un secteur agricole moderne, résilient, durable et compétitif, tout en garantissant un soutien aux revenus des agriculteurs mieux ciblé et plus équitable. Jyrki Katainen, Vice-Président chargé de l’emploi, de la croissance, de l’investissement et de la compétitivité, a déclaré: “La politique agricole commune est l’une de nos principales politiques et affecte la vie de tous les Européens. En même temps, ils renforcent sa durabilité: avec le nouveau mode de gouvernance proposé, nous accordons plus de subsidiarité aux États membres afin d’améliorer l’efficacité de la politique et de mieux suivre ses résultats.” Phil Hogan, Commissaire à l’agriculture et au développement rural, a déclaré: “La proposition d’aujourd’hui respecte l’engagement pris par la Commission de moderniser et de simplifier la politique agricole commune; en introduisant une véritable subsidiarité pour les États membres; en s’assurant que le secteur agricole européen soit plus résilient; et en augmentant l’ambition environnementale et climatique de la politique.” Les principales caractéristiques de la proposition de la Commission pour une politique agricole commune simplifiée et modernisée sont les suivantes: une nouvelle manière de travailler, avec une approche plus décentralisée pour le choix des mesures avec un cadre commun européen fort; un soutien aux agriculteurs plus équitables grâce au plafonnement et à la redistribution des aides aux petites et moyennes exploitations; un soutien accru aux jeunes agriculteurs; des ambitions environnementales et climatiques accrues; le développement des innovations et nouvelles technologies pour le secteur agricole. Un communiqué de presse dans toutes les langues, un mémo et une fiche visuelle d’information sur la future PAC sont disponibles en ligne.  (Pour plus d’informations: Daniel Rosario – Tel.: +32 229 56 185; Clémence Robin – Tel.: +32 229 52509)

EU budget: Commission proposes to increase funding to support the environment and climate action

For the next long-term EU budget 2021-2027, the Commission is proposing to increase funding by almost 60% for LIFE, the EU programme for the environment and climate action. The LIFE programme is among the EU funding programmes for which the Commission is proposing the largest proportional increase, with a budget of €1.95 billion between 2021 and 2027. The Commission has integrated climate action into all major EU spending programmes, in particular cohesion policy, regional development, energy, transport, research and innovation, the Common Agricultural Policy as well as the EU’s development policy, making the EU budget a driver of sustainability. To implement the Paris Agreement and the commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Commission proposes to raise the level of ambition for climate financing across all EU programmes, with at least 25% of EU expenditure contributing to climate objectives.A press statement by Commissioner Vella can be followed on EbS at 12:00 CET and a full press release is available online. (For more information: Enrico Brivio – Tel.: + 32 229 56172; Iris Petsa – Tel.: +32 229 93321; Nicole Bockstaller – Tel.: +32 229 52589)

Pollinating insects: Commission proposes actions to stop their decline

One in ten pollinating insects is on the verge of extinction, and a third of bee and butterfly species is declining. This is why today the Commission is proposing the first-ever EU initiative to address the decline of wild pollinating insects. The new measures include a new indicator to improve monitoring and data, and better coordination of EU action across different sectors and policies to address the social and economic implications of the decline in pollinating insects. The objectives of the EU Pollinators Initiative set a long-term perspective towards 2030, with a number of short term actions to be implemented until 2020. By the end of 2020, the Commission will review the progress on the implementation and, if necessary, propose further action. A full press release and MEMO are available online. (For more information: Enrico Brivio – Tel.: + 32 229 56172; Iris Petsa – Tel.: +32 229 93321)

TRADE: European Commission reacts to the US restrictions on steel and aluminium

As of today, the United States is imposing additional duties of 25 % and 10 % respectively on imports of steel and aluminium from the EU. President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker said: “This is protectionism, pure and simple. By targeting those who are not responsible for overcapacities, the US is playing into the hands of those who are responsible for the problem. The US now leaves us with no choice but to proceed with a WTO dispute settlement case and with the imposition of additional duties on a number of imports from the US. We will defend the Union’s interests, in full compliance with international trade law.” Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström said: “We did everything to avoid this outcome. Throughout the talks we had over the last couple of months, the US has sought to use the threat of trade restrictions as leverage to obtain concessions from the EU. This is not the way we do business, and certainly not between longstanding partners, friends and allies. Now that we have clarity, the EU’s response will be proportionate and in accordance with WTO rules. We have just triggered a dispute settlement case at the WTO. We will also impose rebalancing measures and take any necessary steps to protect the EU market from trade diversion caused by these US restrictions.” As an imminent reaction to the US measures, the EU launches today legal proceedings against the US in the WTO and started preparations to trigger its rebalancing measures targeting a number of US products with extra duties. The EU notified its potential rebalancing to the WTO on 18 May and, in line with the Organisation rules, could trigger them 30 days later. An investigation towards possible imposition of safeguard measures on steel launched on 26 March in ongoing and could be concluded whenever the investigation confirms the necessity for swift action. The US measures affect EU exports worth €6.4 billion in 2017. For more information see the press release. A press conference with Commissioner Malmström will take place in Brussels at 14:00 (CET) today and will be followed by a technical briefing for accredited journalists. It can be followed online. (For more information: Daniel Rosario – tel.: + 32 2 295 61 85; Kinga Malinowska – Tel.: +32 2 2 295 13 83)

Step forward for EU-Armenia relations as new agreement is provisionally applied

The EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, which was signed on 24 November in the margins of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Brussels by High Representative/Vice-President, Federica Mogherini and Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edward Nalbandian, provisionally applies as of today. The agreement covers political, trade and other sectorial issues, from the environment to procurement procedures, reflecting the fact that relations between the European Union and Armenia are comprehensive and that there is significant potential for enhanced cooperation. The agreement is designed to bring tangible benefits to the citizens of the European Union and Armenia. This will be done, for example, through strengthening cooperation on security matters, improving the investment climate, and stimulating growth and jobs. As of today, the majority of the agreement will apply provisionally. This means that the European Union and Armenia will now have the framework in which to have a regular political dialogue, to work on issues related to domestic reform, to cooperate in areas such as transport, energy, banking and financial services, and to enhance their work on asylum and border management, among others. In addition, the parts of the agreement related to trade will also apply as of today, enabling the EU and Armenia to, for example, work to enhance the regulatory environment in Armenia, thus improving the business climate and investment opportunities for Armenian and EU companies. The agreement has already been ratified by Armenia and is currently under ratification by the EU Member States.  The agreement will enter into force once the process of ratification by the Member States and the procedure for conclusion by the EU is completed. More information is available in dedicated factsheets on the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement and on EU-Armenia relations, as well as on the website of the EU Delegation to Armenia. The full text of the agreement is available online. (For more information: Maja Kocijančič – Tel.: +32 229 86570; Adam Kaznowski – Tel.: +32 229 89359; Alceo Smerilli – Tel.: +32 229 64887)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Attero by 3i Group and Deutsche Bank

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of Attero Holding of the Netherlands, by 3i Group and Deutsche Alternative Asset Management (“DAAM”), ultimately owned by Deutsche Bank AG, both of the UK. Attero Holding is a waste management company active in the collection, treatment and disposal of ordinary and hazardous waste in the Netherlands. 3i Group is an investment management company. DAAM manages and controls investments funds, focussing on infrastructure assets in Europe. The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns because the activities of the parties do not overlap in the European Economic Area. The transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure. More information is available on the Commission’s competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.8902. (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 229 80100; Maria Sarantopoulou – Tel.: +32 229 13740)

Capital Markets Union: Making it easier for insurers to invest in new class of securitised assets 

The Commission has today adopted new rules to stimulate insurers’ investments in simple, transparent and standardised (STS) securitisation. If soundly structured, securitisation is an important channel for diversifying funding sources and enabling a broader distribution of risk across financial markets participants. To this end, today’s amendments will make the EU insurance legislation (‘Solvency II‘) compatible with the harmonised rules on STS securitisation, adopted by co-legislators in 2017 and that will apply as of 1 January 2019. In particular, today’s rules will provide for a more risk-sensitive approach in the calculation of the amount of capital that insurers need to set aside when they invest in the new asset class. This will contribute to the creation of an integrated Capital Markets Union. Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, responsible for Financial Services, Financial Stability and Capital Markets Union, said: “The CMU is an ambitious programme to diversify funding sources for companies, knock down barriers to investment and increase options for investors. If the EU securitisation issuance were built up again to pre-crisis average, it would generate up to €150bn in additional funding for the economy. That’s why we need more risk-sensitive capital requirements to make it easier for insurers to invest in STS securitisation and to play a more important role in financing the real economy“. Today’s amendments are also in line with the revised prudential treatment of banks’ investments set out in the STS securitisation framework (regulation on capital requirements). The Commission decision takes the form of a delegated regulation. Changes will apply directly as of 1 January 2019 if the European Parliament and the Council raise no objection to it. (For more information: Vanessa Mock – Tel.: + 32 229 56194; Letizia Lupini – Tel.: +32 229 51958)

STATEMENTS

Joint statement by Commissioner Věra Jourová and Haruhi Kumazawa, Commissioner of the Personal Information Protection, on the state of play of the dialogue on data protection

Commissioner Věra Jourová and Commissioner of the Personal Information Protection, Haruhi Kumazawa, held a very constructive meeting in Tokyo with the aim to advance the process towards mutual adequacy findings. They reaffirmed that a simultaneous finding of an adequate level of protection by both sides will complement and enhance the benefits of the Economic Partnership Agreement between Japan and the EU, which is currently proceeding for the signing, and that the finding will also contribute to the strategic partnership between Japan and the EU. They took note of the significant progress achieved in the past months. (…) They agreed to intensify the work with the shared commitment to complete as soon as possible both procedures – the designation of the European Economic Area by the Personal Information Protection Commission as a foreign country establishing a personal information protection system recognised to have equivalent standards to those in Japan based on Article 24 of the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI) and the parallel decision by the European Commission that Japan ensures an adequate level of protection of personal data pursuant to Article 45 of the General Data Protection Regulation. They affirmed that the Personal Information Protection Commission and the European Commission will continue to consult each other with a view to finding mutually acceptable solutions whenever there is a need for cooperation with respect to personal data based on the framework for mutual and smooth transfer of personal data between Japan and the EU. The full statement is available online and more information on adequacy decisions can found here. (For more information: Christian Wigand- Tel.: +32 229 62253; Mélanie Voin – Tel.: +32 229 58659)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Commissioners Avramopoulos, Jourová and King in Luxembourg for the Justice and Home Affairs Council

Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Vera Jourová and Commissioner for the Security Union Julian King will attend the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg on 4 and 5 June. On Monday, Justice Ministers are expected to reach a partial general approach on the Directive on insolvency, restructuring and second chance. They will also discuss the Brussels IIa Regulation on cross-border matrimonial matters and parental responsibilities, as well as digital contractsandthe new proposals on electronic evidence. Commissioner Jourová will update the ministers on the setting up of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO). Judicial training and the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica case will be discussed and ministers will also exchange views on the protection of and support for victims of terrorism. The meeting will be followed by a press conference at +/- 17.30 (CET) which will be available on EbS. On Tuesday, Home Affairs ministers will take stock of progress made towards reforming the Common European Asylum System ahead of the June European Council. They will also hold a policy debate on proposals to reform the visa code. The current situation along the Mediterranean migratory routes will be discussed over lunch. In the afternoon, ministerswill debate cooperation on counter-terrorism, the EU policy cycle for organised and serious crime and cooperation between CSDP missions and JHA agencies. A press conference will be web streamed in the afternoon at +/- 18:00 (CET). (For more information: Natasha Bertaud – Tel.: +32 229 67456; Tove Ernst – Tel.: +32 229 86764; Christian Wigand- Tel.: +32 229 62253)

Commissioner Stylianides attends the Balkans and Black Sea Cooperation Forum in Greece

Today Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides attends the Balkans and Black Sea Cooperation Forum in Athens, Greece. The Commissioner will deliver a keynote speech on the current state of Europe. During the forum, leading business and policy makers from the region engage in debates about economic cooperation, business relations and sustainable growth across South and Central East Europe and beyond. (For more information: Carlos Martin Ruiz de Gordejuela – Tel.: +32 229 65322; Daniel Puglisi – Tel.: +32 229 69140)

Vice-President Dombrovskis participates in G7 Finance Ministers’ meeting in Whistler, Canada

Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue, also in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union, represents the European Commission at the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting that takes place until 2 June in Whistler, Canada. The agenda includes discussions on the global economic outlook, emerging risks, women’s economic empowerment and mobilising capital for sustainable development. The gathering focuses on issues related technological change, such as cyber risks in the financial sector and crypto-assets. Referring to these working sessions, Vice-President Dombrovskis said: “I look forward to exchanging views with our strategic partners on the global economic outlook, as well as opportunities and emerging risks to global growth, such as trade  disputes. This meeting takes place against the backdrop of the unilateral US decision to impose steel and aluminium tariffs on the EU and other jurisdictions. This move is at odds with our multilateral approach to problem-solving and global trade rules. It leaves the EU with no other choice but to respond.”  The Vice-President will have a bilateral meeting with the Canadian Minister of Finance, Bill Morneau, and will also meet with the US Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin.  (For more information: Johannes Bahrke – Tel.: +32 229 58615; Annikky Lamp – Tel.: +32 229 56151)

Calendar

The Commissioners’ weekly activities

Upcoming events of the European Commission (ex-Top News)

The new measures include a new indicator to improve monitoring and data, and better coordination of EU action across different sectors and policies to address the social and economic implications of the decline in pollinating insects.

Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella said: “Pollinators are an excellent ecosystem health check. If they are not doing well, we can be sure biodiversity in general is not doing well and this is bad news. We are already doing a lot to stop the decline of pollinators in the EU Natura 2000 network of protected areas. But with the worrying status of pollinating insects, particularly of bees and butterflies, it is clear we have to step up our game. This is what this initiative is all about.”

Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan said: “Our farmers’ future and the wellbeing of our rural communities depend on healthy ecosystems with rich biodiversity. The tireless work of insect pollinators enables that richness. While their work comes for free, it is invaluable in maintaining the flow of goods and services from nature that underpin our existence. We need to act urgently to stop their decline.”

Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis said: “Following the Commission’s proposal, the EU recently banned the outdoor use of three pesticides known as neonicotinoids that have been proven to be harmful for both honeybees and wild bees. Today’s initiative further demonstrates our utmost commitment to protect pollinators through a broad range of actions.”

Pollination is one of the key processes in nature which enables the reproduction of plants. In the EU alone, four in five crop and wild flower species depend on insect pollination. Pollinators are mainly insects, in particular bees and hoverflies, but also butterflies, moths, some beetles and other flying insects. Almost €15 billion of the EU’s annual agricultural output is directly attributed to insect pollinators. Besides productivity, pollinators support the variety of food sources enabling diverse and nutrient-rich diet. Action is necessary to safeguard biodiversity, agriculture and food security.

The Commission is proposing:

• Measures to improve knowledge of pollinator decline, including the causes and consequences. An EU monitoring process for pollinators will provide quality data on the status and trends of pollinator species. The Commission is also proposing a list of habitats important to pollinating insects, and assessment of their condition based on reporting of Member States under the Habitats Directive. In addition, the Commission is also proposing to launch a project to monitor the presence of pesticides in the environment. Horizon 2020 will continue to promote research and innovation in this area.
• Measures to tackle the causes of the decline,such as action plans for the habitats of the most threatened pollinating insects and identifying conservation and management approaches to help Member States. The Commission is also proposing to mitigate EU action across health, agricultural, research, cohesion, climate and environmental policies to achieve better results.
• To raise awareness, engage citizens and promote collaboration. The Commission will guide and incentivise businesses, in particular in the agri-food sector, to contribute to conservation. Educational material on pollinators will be provided to schools and through the European Solidarity Corps, and volunteering in projects that benefit communities and the environment will be encouraged.

This new initiative on pollinators is the Commission’s response to calls by the European Parliament and Member States for action to protect pollinators and their habitats and to mitigate their decline.

Next Steps

The objectives of the EU Pollinators Initiative set a long-term perspective towards 2030, with a number of short term actions to be implemented until 2020. By the end of 2020, the Commission will review the progress on the implementation and, if necessary, propose further action.

For the full list of measures and their timeline, see the Annex to the Communication here.

Background

The EU has already in place a range of measures to help pollinators, in particular under environment and health policies (e.g. the Birds and Habitats Directives and the EU legislation on pesticides) as well as under the Common Agricultural Policy, cohesion policy and research and innovation policy.

The decline of pollinators has continued, demonstrated by the European Red List assessments. The mid-term review of the EU biodiversity strategy to 2020 also showed that the pollination service provided by insect pollinators might be already significantly decreasing as well.

The initiative is part of the EU efforts to halt the loss of biodiversity and degradation of ecosystem services by 2020 and contribute towards commitments made under the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

For More Information

A European Pollinators Initiative: Questions & Answers

EU Pollinators Initiative

Commission staff working document

Factsheet

EU Pollinators Initiative website

Why do we need a European initiative on pollinators?

Pollination is one of the key processes in nature which enables the reproduction of plants. In Europe, around four in five wild flower and crop species depend, at least to some extent, on animals for pollination. However, pollinators have seriously declined in occurrence and diversity in Europe, with many of them being threatened with extinction. This puts at risk ecosystem functioning, and consequently human wellbeing which depends on them.

The impact of pollinators is particularly visible in food production. Up to almost EUR 15 billion of the EU’s annual agricultural output is directly attributed to insect pollinators. For many crops the contribution of pollinators can amount to half of the market value of produce. Moreover, by supporting crop diversity they underpin a wide array of sources of vital nutrients which is indispensable for a healthy diet.  

There are already a range of existing measures under several EU policies that are beneficial to pollinators, in particular under environment and health policies (in particular the Birds and Habitats Directives and the EU legislation on pesticides), as well as under the common agricultural policy, cohesion policy and research and innovation policy. Despite these measures, the decline of pollinators has continued. Various assessments showed the need for a more coordinated EU action to address the problem through an integrated approach involving different sectors and policies. This will mobilize all relevant stakeholders and improve the effectiveness of existing, at the moment often fragmented, efforts.

The EU Pollinators Initiative will improve knowledge on pollinators and facilitate its dissemination and use across sectors. It will also strengthen collaboration between scientists, policy makers, businesses and the general public. This will support better targeted and more impactful actions for tackling the causes of pollinator decline.

What are pollinators?

Pollinators are animals that provide pollination — the transfer of pollen (male gametes) between the male and female parts of flowers — which enables reproduction of plants. In Europe pollinators are mainly insects, in particular bees and hoverflies, but also butterflies, moths, some beetles and other fly insects. Bees are the most prolific pollinators. There are almost 2 000 wild bee species in the EU. The most well-known bee species is the western honeybee (Apis mellifera), a domesticated species that is managed by beekeepers for the production of honey and other beehive products.

Although many insect species are pollinators, it has long been considered that honeybees provide the majority of crop pollination. With increasing knowledge, this view has now changed. Honeybees are important pollinators, but they supplement rather than substitute wild pollinators. While it has become evident that wild pollinators play a vital role in crop pollination, the main focus should be on the diversity of pollinator communities. Both wild and domesticated bee species play an important role in our food security.

Why is the diversity of pollinators important?

Various plants have different pollination requirements and high diversity of pollinators ensures that the demand is effectively met. Pollinator species differ in their environmental adaptation so to ensure their diversity is to ensure pollination under varying conditions.

Species richness and abundance of pollinators underpin effective and stable crop pollination across time and space, and in this way ensures enhanced quantity and quality of crop yields. Diversity ensures that plants will be pollinated even in cases where certain species fail to perform. It enables resilience to the ever-changing environment and acts as a buffer in case of unforeseen or uncertain major changes, especially in the context of climate change.

Wild plants in particular depend on wild pollinators and their diversity due to many specific plant-pollinator relations which have developed through co-evolution. The survival of a plant in such instances depends completely on one or a few pollinator species.

Why does the initiative focus on wild pollinators?

The EU already has in place dedicated actions for domesticated pollinators by supporting bee health and apiculture. These efforts tackle issues exclusive to honeybees (veterinary issues, beekeeping practices etc.). But the large majority of pollinators are wild species. By focusing on them, the EU Pollinators Initiative addresses challenges common to all pollinators. As such it will provide fundamental contribution to the health of honeybees as well, and will complement existing EU support to bee health and apiculture.

What is the magnitude of pollinator decline? How will it be monitored?

While the current evidence clearly demonstrates an alarming decline of pollinators and warrants immediate action, the full magnitude of the problem is not yet known due to significant knowledge gaps. The best data is available for bees and butterflies, showing that one out of ten species in both groups is threatened with extinction in Europe. One in three bee and butterfly species have a declining population which indicates negative future trend. However, for more than half of the bee species there is not enough data to assess their status or trends. For insect pollinators other than bees and butterflies, the data is insufficient to provide information on the status and trends at EU level. However, there is ample evidence for their regional and local declines.

In order to understand the full extent of the problem, long-term monitoring of pollinators is needed. By establishing an EU level monitoring process for pollinators, the initiative will ensure the collection of data necessary to assess the status and trends of pollinators. This will give us the full picture of the problem, and provide information on how it develops and how successful the mitigation actions have been.

What are the main causes of pollinator decline?

The current scientific knowledge suggests that there is no one single driver of pollinator decline. The milestone report on pollinators issued by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) names land-use change, intensive agricultural management and pesticide use, environmental pollution, invasive alien species, pathogens and climate change as the main threats to pollinators. These often work in combination resulting in synergetic effects that exert strong pressure on pollinators.

How will the initiative address the impact of pesticides on pollinators?

The EU Pollinators Initiative will strengthen the current risk assessment of pesticides on pollinators with an aim to ensure that authorized substances do not pose threat to pollinators. Where harmful impacts on pollinators are demonstrated, legal measures will be taken to restrict or prohibit the use of such substances. Furthermore, the initiative will promote the uptake of pollinator-specific targets and measures in national action plans on the sustainable use of pesticides in order to reduce potential impacts of approved pesticides on pollinators. The EU has already one of the strictest regulatory systems in the world concerning the approval of pesticides. The Commission already further strengthened the data requirements for the submission of the dossiers, reviewed together with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concerning the impact of pesticides on bees, and the EU has recently banned the outdoor use of three pesticides known as neonicotinoids that have been proven to be harmful for both honeybees and wild bees.

What is the international community doing about the problem and how will the initiative contribute to it?

In 2000, the Conference of Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) established an international initiative for the conservation and sustainable use of pollinators (the International Pollinator Initiative). The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) facilitates and coordinates the initiative. At the CBD COP in 2016, the Dutch government launched the Coalition of the Willing on Pollinators — a group of countries that already have or plan to develop a pollinator strategy.

The EU Pollinators Initiative aims to strengthen the support for conservation actions under the International Pollinators Initiative and foster international collaboration through the Coalition of the Willing on Pollinators. In this way the EU will take a more active role in global conservation efforts for pollinators.