Fédération Internationale des Jardins Familiaux
FIJF
La Fédération Internationale favorise la création d'organisations de jardiniers amateurs en Europe et au Japon, favorise le développement de ces regroupements et défend leurs intérêts.
ID: 978683519418-08
Lobbying Activity
Response to EU Pollinators Initiative
18 Dec 2017
The Office International du Coin de Terre et des Jardins Familiaux, domiciled in Luxembourg representing more than 2,000,000 European allotment gardener families shares the Commission's views and supports its initiative to tackle the decline of pollinators.
Research is certainly important and necessary but cannot have an immediate effect, whereas immediate measures are obligatory.
The support of, for example, private sector’s activities on pollinators will have these required immediate effects and avoid a worsening of the situation and even possibly a stopping/reduction of this frightening situation. The same could be achieved by supporting the engagement of rural and urban communities in the conservation of pollination and the sharing of knowledge and good practice among stakeholders.
Many non- governmental organisations are active in this area on a daily basis. Management can contribute to a higher variety of insect species. Substantiated and practical advice is therefore necessary. Accordingly, the International Office for example stimulates its members for an ecological gardening. More and more affiliated associations host bee hives on their site and plant local species. Good practice guides are issued and shared and diplomas granted to mention only these few.
In the Netherlands, our Dutch member AVVN promotes biodiversity in allotment gardens in the successful 'Natuurlijk Tuinieren' programme (=ecological and biological gardening management) because the federation also recognised the enormous impact of pollinators for allotment gardeners.
In Austria, our member „Zentralverband der Kleingärtner und Siedler Österreichs“ also realised the urgency of the topic and started a few years ago to train allotment gardeners in bee-keeping and also helps the new bee-keepers financially to establish their own hives. This underlines the importance the Austrian allotment gardeners attach to bees and other insects as pollinators. Furthermore, the “Zentralverband” is currently working on a study – together with the “Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety Ltd. (AGES)” – about Biodiversity in allotment gardens. The outcome will help to identify if there is a lack of “pollinator-friendly” plants in allotment gardens and to countersteer this trend, if necessary.
Other federations are doing the same and take all appropriate measures to conserve pollination and to spread all available knowledge and good practice examples.
We would welcome if the Commission in its initiatives would emphasise its focus on the measures under topic B II and B III and support associations in their work in this area ideologically and financially. The continuous work of associations and individuals will in fact help to make the difference.
We would be glad to take part-if possible- in a more in-depth memorandum in the 12 week open consultation as well as to send necessary information to the Commission if requested.
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