RT Journal Article
T1 A systems-based approach to the environmental risk assessment of multiple stressors in honey bees.
A1 EFSA Scientific Committee, 
A1 More, Simon
A1 Bampidis, Vasileios
A1 Benford, Diane
A1 Bragard, Claude
A1 Halldorsson, Thorhallur
A1 Hernández-Jerez, Antonio
A1 Bennekou, Susanne Hougaard
A1 Koutsoumanis, Kostas
A1 Machera, Kyriaki
A1 Naegeli, Hanspeter
A1 Nielsen, Søren Saxmose
A1 Schlatter, Josef
A1 Schrenk, Dieter
A1 Silano, Vittorio
A1 Turck, Dominique
A1 Younes, Maged
A1 Arnold, Gerard
A1 Dorne, Jean-Lou
A1 Maggiore, Angelo
A1 Pagani, Stephen
A1 Szentes, Csaba
A1 Terry, Simon
A1 Tosi, Simone
A1 Vrbos, Domagoj
A1 Zamariola, Giorgia
A1 Rortais, Agnes
K1 Apis mellifera
K1 ApisRAM
K1 EU Bee Partnership
K1 agent‐based simulation
K1 bee biological agents
K1 plant protection products
K1 sentinel hives
AB The European Parliament requested EFSA to develop a holistic risk assessment of multiple stressors in honey bees. To this end, a systems-based approach that is composed of two core components: a monitoring system and a modelling system are put forward with honey bees taken as a showcase. Key developments in the current scientific opinion (including systematic data collection from sentinel beehives and an agent-based simulation) have the potential to substantially contribute to future development of environmental risk assessments of multiple stressors at larger spatial and temporal scales. For the monitoring, sentinel hives would be placed across representative climatic zones and landscapes in the EU and connected to a platform for data storage and analysis. Data on bee health status, chemical residues and the immediate or broader landscape around the hives would be collected in a harmonised and standardised manner, and would be used to inform stakeholders, and the modelling system, ApisRAM, which simulates as accurately as possible a honey bee colony. ApisRAM would be calibrated and continuously updated with incoming monitoring data and emerging scientific knowledge from research. It will be a supportive tool for beekeeping, farming, research, risk assessment and risk management, and it will benefit the wider society. A societal outlook on the proposed approach is included and this was conducted with targeted social science research with 64 beekeepers from eight EU Member States and with members of the EU Bee Partnership. Gaps and opportunities are identified to further implement the approach. Conclusions and recommendations are made on a way forward, both for the application of the approach and its use in a broader context.
YR 2021
FD 2021-05-20
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10668/26738
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10668/26738
LA en
DS RISalud
RD Apr 12, 2025