It is estimated that pollinators contribute at least 22 billion Euros each year to European agriculture, with 84% of crops needing insect pollination, and more than 80% of wild flowers require pollinators to reproduce. However, throughout Europe there a severe decline in the numbers of wild bees and other pollinators and managed honeybees have been reported, and this trend is expected to continue.

The European Commission is working on a number of different areas that affect bees and the beekeeping sector