European Week of the Bee and Pollination

bee-biodiversityIn the build-up to Rio+20, the European Parliament will play host to the first ever European Week of the Bee and Pollination from 3 to 6 June.

The Bees Biodiversity Network and the United Nations Environment Programme, seek to place biodiversity, bee health, and the protection of pollination services at the heart of the debate about European environmental policy and the Common Agricultural Policy.

Starting 3 June, a large flower garden (540m2) will be set up on the Agora Simone Veil (in front of the European Parliament). Bee- and pollinator-friendly plants and flowers will be arranged to form, from a bird’s-eye view, a large, 20 metre long bee. This flower garden installation will be open to the public until the evening of 6 June. Beekeepers and other agriculturalists will be on-site throughout the week to discuss the importance of pollination with visitors.

During this week, a two-day international conference on bees and biodiversity will be held at the European Parliament, 5 and 6 June. Chaired by Member of the European Parliament, Gaston Franco, this conference will bring researchers and policy makers together to discuss the causes and consequences of declining bee health, noted throughout the world and best practices and solutions for the effective protection and management of biodiversity and pollination services.

Click here for a Press Release in French.