Latest (EC funded) research
projects on bees and pollinators
Béla ATZÉL, PhD
planning and programming officer
Agri-Food Chain
Bela.ATZEL@ec.europa.eu
European Commission
Directorate-General for Research & Innovation
Research
&
Innovation
Structure of the presentation
• 1) Completed projects
• 2) On-going projects
• 3) Future perspectives
Research
&
Innovation
1) Completed projects
FP6
• BRAVE - Bee research and virology in Europe - identifying the
research needs for protecting European agriculture and
ecosystems against viral diseases (2005)
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/75718_en.html
• ALARM - Assessing LArge-scale environmental Risks with tested
Methods (2004-2009)
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/74303_en.html
• BEE SHOP - Bees in Europe and Sustainable Honey Production
(2006-2009) http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/78605_en.html
Research
&
Innovation
FP7
• BEE DOC - Bees in Europe and the decline of honeybee colonies
(2010-2013) http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/94004_en.html
• CLEANHIVE - Detecting the Pathogen that Threatens European
Honey Bees (2008-2012)
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/94165_en.html
• APIFRESH - Developing European standards for bee pollen and
royal jelly: quality, safety and authenticity (2010-2013)
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/94698_en.html
Research
&
Innovation
2) On-going EC funded research
5 projects, funded by FP7 instruments:
•
FP7-KBBE - FP7 Specific Programme 'Cooperation' - Research Theme:
'Food, agriculture and fisheries, and biotechnology'
•
FP7-ENVIRONMENT - FP7 Specific Programme 'Cooperation'- Research
Theme: 'Environment (including climate change)'
•
FP7-SME - FP7 - Research theme: Research for the benefit of SMEs
•
FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific Programme 'Ideas' implementing the Seventh
Framework Programme
Total cost: EUR 25.603.317
EU contribution: EUR 20.360.667
Research
&
Innovation
Inventory of projects
•
SMARTBEES – Sustainable Management of Resilient Bee
populations (2014-2018)
•
AMIGA - Assessing and Monitoring the Impacts of Genetically
modified plants on Agro-ecosystems (2011-2015)
•
STEP – Status and Trends of European Pollinators (2010-2015)
•
SWARMONITOR - development of a tool for effective diagnostic
monitoring of honey bee colonies (2012-2015)
•
SPACERADARPOLLINATOR - Space use by bees– radar
tracking of spatial movement patterns of key pollinators (20142019)
Research
&
Innovation
SMARTBEES
Sustainable Management of Resilient Bee populations
(2014-2018)
Project reference: 613960
Total cost:
EUR 7 762 261
EU contribution:
EUR 5 998 866
Coordinated in:
Germany
Subprogramme:
KBBE.2013.1.3-02 - Sustainable apiculture and
conservation of honey bee genetic diversity
Call for proposal:
FP7-KBBE-2013-7-single-stage
•
Funding scheme:
CP-TP - Collaborative Project targeted to a special
group (such as SMEs)
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/192071_en.html
Research
&
Innovation
• Objectives
• to identify crucial facets of honeybee resistance to colony
losses, Varroa and viruses;
• to characterise the genetic background of the resistance
mechanisms in honeybees;
• to develop breeding strategies to increase the frequencies of
these valuable traits in local honeybee populations;
• to promote multiple local breeding efforts, to conserve local
resilient populations and will develop molecular tools for
describing and safeguarding future populations;
• to protect European natural honeybee heritage.
Research
&
Innovation
AMIGA
Assessing and Monitoring the Impacts of
Genetically modified plants on Agro-ecosystems
(2011-2015)
Project reference: 289706
Total cost:
EUR 7 779 852
Subprogramme:
KBBE.2011.3.5-01 - GM crops in the EU - systematically
assessing environmental and economic impacts
EU contribution:
EUR 5 997 963
Call for proposal:
FP7-KBBE-2011-5
Coordinated in:
Italy
Funding scheme:
CP-IP - Large-scale integrating project
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/101406_en.html
http://www.amigaproject.eu/
Research
&
Innovation
Objectives
•
providing baseline data on biodiversity in agro-ecosystems in the
EU;
•
defining lists of suitable bioindicators for various European regions;
•
improving knowledge on potential long term environmental effects
of genetically modified plants (GMPs);
•
testing the efficacy of the EFSA Guidance Document (GD) for the
Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) of GMPs;
•
exploring new strategies for post market monitoring;
•
estimating the compatibility of GMPs with the Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) principles implemented in the EU;
•
providing a systematic analysis of economical aspects of GMPs
cultivation in the EU; and
•
setting a training and communication plan addressing public
concerns about GMPs.
Research
&
Innovation
STEP
Status and Trends of European Pollinators
(2010-2015)
Project reference: 244090
Total cost:
EUR 4 787 289
EU contribution:
EUR 3 499 994
Coordinated in:
United Kingdom
Subprogramme:
ENV.2009.2.1.4.1 - Assess the pan-European status of
pollinators
Call for proposal:
FP7-ENV-2009-1
Funding scheme:
CP-FP - Small or medium-scale focused research
project
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/93949_en.html
http://www.step-project.net/
Research
&
Innovation
Objectives
• to document the status and trends of pollinators (managed
honeybees, wild bees and hoverflies) and animal-pollinated
plant populations;
• to determine and analyse the multiple pressures that are
driving changes in pollinators and animal-pollinated plants;
• to assess the impact of changes ;
• to evaluate and synthesise strategies to mitigate the impacts;
• to analyse and improve the interface between the scientific
knowledge base on pollinator change assessment and policy
instruments to reduce pollinator / pollination loss and mitigate
its effects;
• to develop communication and educational links with a wide
range of stakeholders and the general public.
Research
&
Innovation
SWARMONITOR
Development of a tool for effective diagnostic
monitoring of honey bee colonies
(2012-2015)
Project reference: 315146
•
•
Total cost:
EUR 1 834 993
•
•
Subprogramme:
SME-2012-2 - Research for SME associations
•
•
EU contribution:
EUR 1 424 922
•
•
Call for proposal:
FP7-SME-2012
•
•
Coordinated in:
United Kingdom
•
•
Funding scheme:
BSG-SME-AG - Research for SME
associations/groupings
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/105847_en.html
www.swarmonitor.com
Research
&
Innovation
Objectives
• to develop the first monitoring tool that would detect changes in
honey bee activity within the beehive for the effective
management of bees.
• the tool to allow beekeepers to remotely diagnose colony
status without the invasive opening of hives for physical
inspection.
• to increase the efficiency of beekeeping allowing small and hobby
beekeepers to more closely manage their colonies and predict
behaviour that requires intervention remotely.
• to allow commercial beekeepers to keep more hives over greater
geographical distances so increasing their efficiency and
profitability.
Research
&
Innovation
SPACERADARPOLLINATOR
Space use by bees– radar tracking of spatial
movement patterns of key pollinators
(2014-2019)
Project reference: 339347
Funded under: FP7-IDEAS-ERC
Total cost:
EUR 3 438 922
Subprogramme:
EU contribution:
EUR 3 438 922
Call for proposal:
ERC-2013-ADG
Coordinated in:
United Kingdom
Funding scheme:
ERC-AG - ERC Advanced Grant
ERC-AG-LS8 - ERC Advanced Grant - Evolutionary,
population and environmental biology
http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/185402_en.html
Research
&
Innovation
Objectives
• transponder miniaturisation, to develop radar technology to
allow coverage of areas of up to 10km2 and the exploration of the
3rd dimension of insect flight;
• tracking bees in three dimensions:
• to identify the rules of bee movements at the landscape scale,
• to monitor natural resource exploration and exploitation
• to quantify individual differences in space use.
• to monitor competitive interactions as well as the possibility of social
learning in space use.
• to identify spatial movement strategies of queens and males;
• to increase the understanding of pollinator space use, but also
for the conservation, management, and the understanding of
mating patterns in the plants they pollinate.
Research
&
Innovation
3) Future perspectives
• FP7 is replcaced by Horizon 2020
• Increase in budget, coupling research to innovation, challengebased approach, new approach to Work Programme and Calls…
• THERE IS ROOM for project proposals on bees and pollination
• Excellent Science
•
European Research Council (ERC)
• Industrial leadership
•
Innovation in SMEs
• Societal Challenges
•
SC2: Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry…
•
SC5: Climate Action, Environment, Research Efficiency…
Research
&
Innovation
Thank you for your attention!
Research
&
Innovation