Revised EU Pollinators Initiative: A new deal for pollinators
The EU Pollinators initiative was the first-ever EU framework to tackle the decline of wild pollinators. Adopted in 2018 by the Commission, it outlined strategic objectives and actions for the EU and its Member States to address pollinator decline in the EU and contribute to global conservation efforts. The initiative has been an integral part of the EU biodiversity strategy.
In 2023, the Commission revised the EU Pollinators Initiative. The revision followed a review of progress on the initiative's implementation. Find the progress report here.
The ambition of the revised Initiative was boosted by the legally binding target under the Nature Restoration Regulation. Together, the Nature Restoration Regulation and the comprehensive action framework of the EU Pollinators Initiative constitute a game changer for pollinator conservation in the EU: A new deal for pollinators.
Nature Restoration Regulation
The Nature Restoration Regulation entered into force on 19 August 2024. Article 10 of the regulation establishes a binding target for Member States to reverse the decline of pollinators by 2030 and thereafter achieve an increasing trend in pollinator populations, measured at least every six years from 2030.
Member States are also obliged to monitor pollinator populations using a methodology established by the Commission.
On 19 September 2025, the Commission adopted a delegated regulation establishing a science-based method for:
- Collecting annual data on the abundance and diversity of pollinator species across ecosystems
- Assessing pollinator population trends
- Assessing the effectiveness of restoration measures adopted by Member States
Member States should implement this so-called EU Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (EU-PoMS) - at the latest by 16 December 2026. Please find more information about EU-PoMS here.
In their national restoration plans, Member States should put in place, in a timely manner, appropriate and effective measures to improve pollinator diversity and reverse the decline of pollinator populations. The actions undertaken through the revised Pollinators Initiative will provide critical support in preparing and implementing the plans in this regard.
Save bees and farmers - European Citizens’ Initiative
The new deal for pollinators was also part of the Commission’s response to the ‘Save bees and farmers! Towards a bee-friendly agriculture for a healthy environment’, a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), signed by more than one million Europeans.
The ECI reflected public concerns about the environmental and socio-economic sustainability of European agriculture.
As well as the new deal for pollinators, many other actions were taken under the European Green Deal to ensure the sustainability of food systems, including:
Taken together, the Commission’s proposals and initiatives were a comprehensive response to the requests made in the ECI.
See the Commission’s response and the factsheet.
Citizen and youth engagement
Public participation is central to the success of EU efforts to restore pollinator populations. The Commission actively promotes citizen engagement and youth involvement through the Young Citizens Assembly on Pollinators, Buzzing Schools and the European Fund for Youth Action on Pollinators.
