Resources

Quotes from the MEPs

Ongoing and unprecedented biodiversity and climate crises, continuous overstepping of planetary boundaries. All these are legacies that no one from us, policy makers, may be leaving to young generations. A part of the change should be a New Deal for Pollinators, which builds on the ongoing activities, but goes much further at the same time [...]

- Martin Hojsík, MEP

For many years now, independent scientists have been warning about the risks of pesticides, especially the systemic ones like neonicotinoids, to bees. Unfortunately the actions taken so far by the European Commission and the Member States have been insufficient to protect bees and other important pollinators. In the meantime, calls from society and representatives to take meaningful action have continued to increase, most recently resulting in the EU citizens' initiative 'Save bees and farmers', which has been signed by 1.2 million citizens. I am confident that the European Parliament will stand united with all of these citizens and will do everything within its power to achieve a better protection of pollinators, including honeybees, wild bees and bumblebees.

- Anja Hazekamp, MEP

Pollinator protection is one of the key issues for the European Parliament and has been for years. In a recent resolution on EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, we are calling for an urgent revision of the Pollinators Initiative, which should include a new EU wide pollinator monitoring framework, with robust measures, clear time-bound objectives and indicators including impact indicators and necessary capacity building. We also call on the Commission and Members States that the revision of EFSA Bee Guidance Document should also cover wild pollinators and among other things highlighting the importance of high biodiversity landscape features in agricultural areas.

- Franc Bogovič, MEP

We are depending on pollinators for our sheer survival. This scientific fact must lie at the core of our policies concerning agriculture, land use and chemicals. We have to accept that neither physics nor ecology are open for negotiations. If we do not act on halting biodiversity destruction, our civilization is at risk. Especially in food production,....” 

- Jutta Paulus, MEP