The present recommendations provide Member States with scientific insight and policy rationale to include pesticide use reduction in the National Restoration Plans, as a major, necessary measure to halt biodiversity loss and restore ecosystems.

uropean governments have banned the use of three common neonicotinoid pesticides due to insufficiently identified risks to bees. This policy decision is controversial given the absence of clear consistency between toxicity assessments of those substances in the laboratory and in the field.

The major reason for this ban is the release of dusts during sowing, that are toxic to honey bees.

A joint research project on the function and structure of endocrine and exocrine glands of honeybees has been carried out in collaboration with Prof. Pierre Cassier

The ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor, shifted host from the eastern honeybee, Apis cerana, to the western honeybee, Apis mellifera.

The risk exposure of bee colonies to the toxicity of systemic neonicotinoid insecticides was assessed. Various methods of chemical prevention of commercial winter and spring oilseed rape crops in field-realistic conditions were taken into account in the assessment.

The Swiss population of Apis mellifera mellifera is taken as a case study.