Boosting bees and other pollinators in Europe: New recommendations for EU nature restoration plans
Freiburg, 02/03/2026
A new Policy Brief from the EU project RestPoll headed by Prof. Dr. Alexandra-Maria Klein of the University of Freiburg gives recommendations to EU member states on the most effective nature restoration measures to promote pollinators such as wild bees.
Pollinating insects such as bees and bumblebees, butterflies and hoverflies play a crucial role in agriculture, biodiversity and stable ecosystems. Pollinator conservation measures ensure the yields of many crop plants and contribute to healthy soil, clean water and climate protection. Yet populations of these insects have been declining in many parts of Europe for years. A new Policy Brief from the EU Horizon Europe project RestPoll has now brought together the best nature restoration measures to promote the recovery of pollinator populations according to current scientific evidence. The project is headed by Prof. Dr. Alexandra-Maria Klein, Professor of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology at the University of Freiburg.
“If we want to stop the decline in pollinators in Europe by 2030 and reverse it, we must consistently address two key issues: expand and connect suitable habitats, and use intensive agricultural and green space less intensively,” says Klein. “It is important that measures are adapted to local conditions, developedin collaboration with practitioners, and monitored systematically.”
“If we want to stop the decline in pollinators in Europe by 2030 and reverse it, we must consistently address two key issues: expand and connect suitable habitats, and use intensive agricultural and green space less intensively.”
Prof. Dr. Alexandra-Maria Klein
Professor of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg
How the recommendations were developed
The Policy Brief is based on a survey of experts and a review of specialist literature. The first step involved 56 internationally recognised experts on pollinators from 20 European countries assessing 17 potential nature restoration measures in an online survey. They evaluated the effectiveness, practicality and cost of these measures drawing on their specialist and practical experience. These assessments were supplemented with a focused overview of the academic literature, using among others the platform Conservation Evidence, which systematically analyses the results of research into the effectiveness of nature conservation measures.
The authors structure their recommendations precisely in the context of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR). Article 10 of this regulation commits member states to reverse the decline in pollinators by 2030 and then continue to increase the populations. EU member states must submit draft proposals for national restoration plans to the European Commission by 1 September 2026.
The best measures to protect pollinators
The analysis shows that protection of pollinators can be effectively combined with nature restoration measures in farming landscapes, grassland and urban green space. It is most effective when the quality, space and interconnections of habitats for pollinators are increased. Ways of doing this include species-rich (semi-)natural grasslands, wildflower meadows, hedgerows and flowering trees and shrubs. Such structures not only improve the food supply, but also make it easier for pollinators to spread across the landscape and exchange genes.
The authors found it was also crucial to reduce intensive agricultural practices – for example, by using fewer pesticides and mowing less frequently, or less intensive grazing. Fallow land, on the other hand, should be used again in a gentle manner, for example, by mowing occasionally or grazing with a small number of animals to prevent the land from becoming overgrown with bushes.. There is however no ‘standard solution’: measures are most successful if they are adapted to local conditions such as soil, climate, landscape structure and target species.
The authors say that successful realisation depends on clear and measurable objectives, the involvement of farmers, land managers, communities, authorities and experts, sufficient financial and technical support and monitoring to see whether measures are effective and where they need to be adapted. “Pollinator restoration can be both ecologically sound and cost-effective, creating multifunctional landscapes that strengthen pollinator populations while delivering broader benefits for biodiversity, soil and water health, sustainable agriculture, climate mitigation, and community well-being. It can also reduce reliance on chemical inputs, supporting long-term environmental and economic resilience,” explains Dr. Jessica Knapp, lead author of the Policy Brief and researcher at the University of Lund (Sweden).
Further Information
Original publication: Knapp, J., Dicks, L., Kranke, N., Morgan, W., Potts, S., Smith, H.G., Stout, J., Thijssen, M., Thompson, A., Klein, A.-M. (2026). Nature Restoration Plans – the most effective measures to restore pollinator populations. Policy Brief of EU Horizon Europe project RestPoll (Grant Agreement No. 101082102). Zenodo. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18655302
Prof. Dr. Alexandra-Maria Klein is the Professor of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology at the University of Freiburg’s Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources. Her research includes biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, pollination services and measures to protect and promote pollinators.
The Policy Brief was produced within the framework of the EU Horizon Europe project RestPoll (Grant Agreement No. 101082102) with the participation of other EU Horizon Europe projects that address the role of pollinating insects for ecosystems and human well-being.