EFSA is liaising with the European Commission as well as the French Health and Safety Agency (Anses) following the publication of two new scientific studies in the journal Science which suggest that pesticides – specifically neonicotinoids – may be linked to the decline of the honey bee. EFSA will analyse the significance of these findings in the context of its ongoing work on bee health.
EFSA’s scientific experts are currently engaged in several scientific projects related to bee health, principally in the areas of pesticides, animal and plant health, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Bees, particularly honey bees, play an important role in the pollination of a wide range of crops and wild plants. The production of about 80% of the 264 crop species cultivated in the European Union depends directly on insect pollinators, mostly bees, and the global annual monetary value of pollination is estimated to be billions of dollars.
In addition to pollination, bees also provide us with foods and food services, such as: honey, pollen, larvae, wax for food processing, propolis in food technology, and royal jelly as a dietary supplement and ingredient in food.
Given the importance of bees in the ecosystem and the food chain and given the multiple services they provide to humans, their protection is essential. With its mandate to improve EU food safety and to ensure a high level of consumer protection, EFSA has an important role to play in ensuring their survival.
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