New recommendations for EU restoration plans

• Policy Brief from the EU project RestPoll, provides recommendations on which renaturation measures are most effective in promoting pollinators, such as wild bees, in Europe.
• The key messages are more high-quality, interconnected habitats and a reduction in the intensity of highly intensive land use—for example, through the use of fewer pesticides and adapted mowing and grazing systems—are needed.
• The results should help EU member states to implement their nature restoration plans under the EU Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) in an effective, practical, and verifiable manner.

Pollinating insects such as bees, bumblebees, butterflies, and hoverflies play a key role in agriculture, biodiversity, and stable ecosystems. Pollinator conservation measures ensure the yields of many crops and contribute to healthy soils, clean water, and climate protection. At the same time, their populations have been declining in many parts of Europe for years. A new policy brief from the EU Horizon Europe project RestPoll now summarizes which restoration measures, based on current scientific evidence and expert knowledge, can best contribute to the recovery of pollinator populations. The project is led by Prof. Dr. Alexandra-Maria Klein, Professor of Conservation Biology and Landscape Ecology at the University of Freiburg.

“If we want to halt and reverse the decline of pollinators in Europe by 2030, we must consistently address two key issues: the expansion and interconnection of suitable habitats, and less intensive use of intensive agricultural and green spaces,” says Klein. “It is important that measures are adapted to local conditions, developed in collaboration with practitioners, and systematically monitored.”

How the recommendations were created

The policy brief is based on a survey of experts and an overview of the literature. In the first step, 56 internationally recognized pollinator experts from 20 European countries evaluated a total of 17 possible renaturation measures in an online survey. They assessed how effective, practicable, and cost-intensive these measures are based on their professional and practical experience. These assessments were supplemented by a targeted review of the scientific literature, including the use of the Conservation Evidence platform, which systematically evaluates research findings on the effectiveness of conservation measures.

The authors specifically place their recommendations in the context of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR). Article 10 of this regulation obliges member states to reverse the decline in pollinators by 2030 and to further increase their populations thereafter. EU member states must submit their draft national restoration plans to the European Commission by September 1, 2026.

Which measures are particularly effective in protecting pollinators?

According to the analysis, pollinator protection can be effectively combined with renaturation measures in agricultural landscapes, grasslands, and urban green spaces. The most effective approach is to increase the quality, area, and connectivity of habitats for pollinators. These include species-rich (semi-)natural meadows, wildflower areas, hedges, and flowering trees and shrubs. Such structures not only improve food resources but also facilitate the spread and genetic exchange of pollinators in the landscape.

At the same time, according to the authors, it is crucial to reduce intensive farming practices—for example, by using fewer pesticides and mowing less frequently or grazing less intensively. 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. This would create flower-rich areas that would provide food for pollinators and support their protection and reintroduction. There is no “standard solution” here: measures are particularly successful when they are adapted to local conditions such as soil, climate, landscape structure, and target species.

The authors cite clear and measurable goals and advocate for the involvement of farmers, land managers, local authorities, government agencies, and experts. Additionally, sufficient financial and technical support and monitoring to assess whether measures are effective and need to be adjusted are prerequisites for successful implementation. „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 Lund University (Sweden).

• 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 from the EU-Horizon-Europe-Project RestPoll (Grant Agreement No. 101082102). Zenodo. DOI: 5281/zenodo.18655302
• The policy brief was developed as part of the EU Horizon Europe project RestPoll (funding code 101082102) with the participation of other EU Horizon Europe projects that address the role of pollinating insects in ecosystems and human well-being.

Contact:

Prof. Dr. Alexandra-Maria Klein
+49 (0) 761 203-67770
alexandra.klein@nature.uni-freiburg.de

Photo:
Pollinators ensure the yields of many crops, such as this buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) on the blossom of a sweet cherry tree. (Photo: Felix Fornoff)