New European Roadmap Warns of Growing Threat from Invasive Hornets
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
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A new policy brief published in May 2026 calls for urgent, coordinated European action to address the growing environmental, economic and public health risks posed by invasive hornets.
The publication, Roadmap to Control “Invasive Hornets”, produced by BeeLife with the contribution and co-signed by Copa-Cogeca, Apimondia and the European Professional Beekeepers Association (EPBA), analyses the spread and impacts of Vespa velutina and the neo-invasive Vespa orientalis across Europe.
The document describes these invasive social vespids as a “structurally underestimated, cross-sectoral threat” affecting biodiversity, public health, and economic sectors such as agriculture, beekeeping or tourism. Although EU Regulation 1143/2014 established obligations for the management of invasive alien species, the report argues that implementation across Member States remains fragmented, underfunded and largely reactive.
The roadmap highlights how climate change, longer warm seasons and the highly opportunistic behaviour of these hornets are accelerating their expansion into new territories. Vespa velutina has already been detected in 16 European countries, with established populations in most of them.
Beyond biodiversity concerns, the publication documents emerging allergological risks for citizens, increasing pressure on pollinators, rising colony losses in beekeeping, and economic impacts on fruit and wine production in heavily infested regions.
The report calls for a paradigm shift: moving from isolated nest-removal approaches towards a professionalised, coordinated and multi-sectoral European strategy built around surveillance, research, harmonised governance and long-term funding.
Among the key recommendations are:
the establishment of National Vespa Coordination Units;
harmonised implementation of EU Regulation 1143/2014;
stronger monitoring and reporting systems - with open, shareable information at the EU level;
increased investment in research and selective control tools;
enhanced cooperation between authorities, researchers and citizens.
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If your organisation shares this commitment to environmental, agricultural or social safety, we'd love to have you co-sign the roadmap. Reach out — the more voices, the stronger the message.
