Statement by Ms Florika Fink-Hooijer on World Migratory Bird Day 2024

Ladies and gentlemen, fellow nature enthusiasts,

On World Migratory Bird Day, we celebrate the journeys and beauty of migratory birds, and we recognise the critical role they play in our ecosystems. The European Union is home to over 500 species of wild birds, with one-third of them embarking on transcontinental migrations each year.

However, these birds face unprecedented threats. Alongside the longstanding dangers of habitat loss, unsustainable hunting or illegal killing, the impacts of climate change and the decline in insect populations have emerged as new powerful challenges.

We know that insects are vital to the survival of migratory birds, providing essential nutrition during their long journeys and crucial to the successful breeding of many species. Yet, the dramatic decline in insect populations poses a serious threat. Recent studies in Europe confirm that insectivorous birds (and many long-distance migrants are insectivorous) have declined faster than omnivores.

The EU is committed to protecting wild birds and their habitats. The Birds Directive, one of our key legal instruments, ensures the conservation of wild birds across Europe. It prohibits the hunting of migratory birds during their breeding periods and during their return to rearing grounds. This safeguards them at the most vulnerable stages of their life cycle.

Just two months ago, the Nature Restoration Law entered into force. This groundbreaking legislation will aid in the restoration of habitats of our birds and insects, not only in protected areas but all across the continent. This Law also requires Member States to reverse the decline of pollinating insects by 2030 and thereafter achieve an increasing trend of their populations. This provision, together with the recently revised EU Pollinators Initiative, should lead to the recovery of not just pollinators like bees, butterflies and hoverflies, but to the revitalisation of all insect groups.

Protecting migratory birds requires more than national or European efforts — it demands strong international collaboration. The EU has been a driving force behind the Global Biodiversity Framework, since 2022, and we are determined to implement this landmark agreement with utmost dedication. We are equally proud to be a contracting party to the Bern Convention, the Convention on Migratory Species, and the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds. Those agreements provide vital frameworks for coordinating conservation actions across migratory routes that extend beyond the EU’s borders.

On this World Migratory Bird Day, let us renew our commitment to enforcing international bird protection laws and promoting conservation efforts. By doing so, we ensure that future generations can continue to marvel at the awe-inspiring spectacle of migratory birds. Together, let us celebrate and protect the beauty and wonder of nature, and work towards a sustainable future for all.

Thank you.