Photo credits: João Loureiro

Portugal just became one of the first southern European countries to approve a formal national plan for pollinator conservation — and for the beekeeping community, the timing could not be more significant.

Polinizadores em Ação (“Pollinators in Action”) sets out a 10-year roadmap with 30 actions and 116 measures covering research, land management, education, and governance. It comes with €2 million in initial funding and specific commitments to the beekeeping sector, including genetic diversity assessments of the native Apis mellifera iberiensis and incentives to promote 100% native subspecies in new apiaries by 2035.

Across Europe, one in three bee, butterfly and hoverfly species is in decline — yet most EU countries still lack a comprehensive national plan specifically for pollinator conservation. Portugal is changing that, with a science-based, participatory approach developed by 130 experts from more than 90 institutions.

João Loureiro calls it “a very important step forward,” while noting that success depends on sustained funding, coordination, and monitoring.

Read the полная статья to find out what this means for beekeepers in Portugal and beyond.