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It is with great pleasure that I address today's press conference marking the launch of the two-year "Campaign for the Protection of Bees".
I would like to congratulate the academic community of the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS) of UCLan Cyprus University for the initiative of conducting the Bee Protection Campaign that starts today, but also for their important social contribution.
The essential role of bees for the environment and humans has been recognised at an international level with the establishment, by the United Nations, of 20 May as World Bee Day. The aim of the Organization, through World Bee Day, is to inform the public about the importance of the bee, the threats it faces, and of course its contribution to solving problems related to food shortages and eradicating poverty in developing countries.
The European Union, recognising the contribution of bees to maintaining ecological balance and biodiversity, and considering that 84% of plant species and 76% of food production in Europe depend on pollination by bees, has included the protection of pollinators as an important pillar of the European Green Deal. As part of this initiative, it has agreed to take several actions to reverse the dramatic decline in pollinator populations seen in recent years.
The intensification of agricultural activity and the widespread use of pesticides have been recognised by the EU as threats to pollinator populations which need to be addressed immediately. Therefore, as the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment we have taken initiatives in this direction that focus on three sub-axes.
The first axis relates to the implementation of relevant legislation, such as the implementation of the National Action Plan for the Rational Use of Plant Protection Products. Under the National Plan, users of plant protection products obtain a Certificate, after attending mandatory training. The training includes topics related to the protection of the environment and pollinators, including bees. In addition, pesticide users are required to apply pesticides as a last resort, and only if they have considered and applied other available alternatives.
Supporting farmers through the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy to implement actions aimed at reducing pollinator decline is the second pillar of our initiatives. Such interventions aim to prioritise the use of alternative methods of pest and disease control and the use of pesticides as a last resort, the conservation of habitats and landscapes and the enhancement of biodiversity through the creation of "islands of biodiversity", as well as the €340 support to the beekeeping sector.000 per year under the Beekeeping Programme.
Finally, the third axis, which is considered particularly important, consists of actions to raise public awareness of the importance of bees and other pollinators and the need to reduce threats to their populations. In the context of this axis, I would like to highlight the action of the Beekeeping Programme, which is being implemented with the assistance of the Pancyprian Beekeepers' Association and concerns raising public awareness of the importance of bees through expert visits to schools and local authorities. Already in 2023, visits were made to 76 educational institutions (schools and kindergartens) and a total of 2,768 students aged 2 to 12 years old were informed about the importance of bees.
Our efforts to protect pollinators also include the creation of a pollinator garden at the Presidential Palace, an action implemented as part of our joint initiative with First Lady Philippa Karsera Christodoulides to transform the Presidential Palace building into a zero waste to landfill building and the effort to turn it into a model of environmental stewardship. This action is important both in terms of symbolism and environmental value. The initiative was combined with specific actions in the Presidential Garden, located in an urban green lung of about 15 hectares in the heart of the capital. Such a large area has an important role to play both in protecting and enhancing biodiversity within the city and in strengthening and protecting bees in the urban environment.
In conclusion, I would like to stress that promoting actions to inform and raise awareness of citizens on both climate change and major environmental issues is a priority for our Ministry and is part of the President's governance programme. At the same time, initiatives such as that of the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS) of UCLan University come to complement and strengthen our own efforts.
That is why we as a Ministry welcome and embrace the two-year campaign for the protection of bees that starts today. We wish you every success in your efforts and the success of our common goals to inform and raise awareness and to protect pollinators and our environment.
Note: The greeting was read on behalf of the Minister by Mr. Andreas A. Gregoriou, Director General of the DG Agriculture and Rural Development of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
(EN/EP/NZ)
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