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| 19 mar 2015 |
12:15 |
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Report finds one in ten EU wild bees under extinction
Europe's wild bees are in decline, according to new scientific research published today, co-funded by the European Commission as part of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) European Red List of Bees and the Status and Trends of European Pollinators (STEP) project.
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The report reveals that 9.2% of European wild bee species are threatened with extinction, while 5.2% are considered likely to be threatened in the near future. Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella said: “Our quality of life – and our future – depends on the many goods and services that nature provides for free. If we don’t address the roots of the decline in wild bees, and act urgently to stop it, we could pay a very heavy price indeed."
Europe has an ambitious strategy to halt the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, and restore them so far as feasible.
More information available on the Commission's environment website.
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