Action plans for Europe’s most threatened pollinators
In 2023, the European Commission mandated the development of three targeted action plans to tackle pollinator decline. These plans were developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in collaboration with the IUCN Species Survival Commission, the Invertebrate Conservation Committee, the Hoverfly Specialist Group and Buglife.
Each plan provides:
- Scientific assessments of species' status, ecology and key threats.
- An overview of current conservation measures and their effectiveness.
- A list of priority actions needed to improve species conservation across their range in the EU.
Successful implementation requires coordinated efforts across sectors, mobilising policymakers, researchers, land managers,and civil society to take decisive action.
Tracking implementation
This graphic shows the average percentage of all the actions implemented for the EU Pollinator Action Plans as a whole and for each plan.
8%Average percentage of all the actions implemented for Canarian Islands pollinators
0%Average percentage of all the actions implemented for teasel-plant bees
2%Average percentage of all the actions implemented for veteran trees hoverflies
Click on a country to see the percentage of actions implemented under the EU Pollinator Action Plans in that area.
Featured news
Pollinators play a crucial role in ecosystems and agriculture, supporting biodiversity and food production across Europe. Yet many pollinator species are declining rapidly due to habitat loss, climate change and other pressures. One species raising growing concern is the Canary Islands large white (Pieris cheiranthi), an endemic butterfly from the Canary Islands that depends on native plants and laurel-forest ecosystems.
Recent research suggests that this species may already have disappeared from parts of its historical range. To better understand the situation and the actions needed to protect it, we spoke with Yeray Monasterio León, a researcher specialising in butterfly ecology and conservation in the Canary Islands, and one of the authors of Canarian Islands Pollinators Action Plan. His work focuses on the conservation of endemic lepidoptera and the ecological pressures affecting island pollinators.
More news and updates
Europe’s ancient trees are home to a little-known but vital cohort of pollinators. Veteran tree hoverflies that depend on old, decaying wood to survive are vital to maintaining the health and resilience of forest ecosystems throughout Europe. However, many of these species are under threat of...
The Canary Islands are home to a unique and diverse range of species, including several pollinators found nowhere else in the world. These pollinators, which include specialised bees, butterflies, and hoverflies, are crucial for maintaining the region's delicate ecosystems, particularly the Laurel...
IUCN Save Our Species, in partnership with the European Commission, is pleased to announce the opening of the call for proposals for the European Fund for Youth Action on Pollinators.