The study released by the European Commission, the EU executive arm, is the first on the European wild bee population, less known than the domestic variety but just as important to pollination of crops.
"The report reveals that 9.2 percent of European wild bee species are threatened with extinction, while 5.2 percent are considered likely to be threatened in the near future," the commission said.
The assessment was published as part of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) European Red List of Bees and the Status and Trends of European Pollinators (STEP) project.
Its authors said the study provided the "best understanding" so far on the 1,965 species surveyed but added that knowledge was incomplete because of an "alarming lack of expertise and resources."
The IUCN said the study, which was co-funded by the European Commission, demonstrates the urgency in investing in research to halt the decline of wild bees which, it added, play "an essential role in pollinating crops."
"If we don?t address the reasons behind this decline in wild bees, and act urgently to stop it, we could pay a very heavy price indeed," said Karmenu Vellu, the European Commissioner for the environment.
Read more at Discovery News
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