Belgium implements ecological roadside management to protect pollinators

Belgium is implementing various initiatives to support pollinators through more ecological management of green zones located alongside roads. Rather than a single federal law mandating floral corridors across all national highways, the approach is decentralized. Because Belgium is a federal state, competencies regarding transport, public works, and the environment belong largely to the regions.

Regions such as Flanders and Wallonia are developing their own policies to transform roadside verges and other public spaces into biodiversity refuges. In Flanders, the regional government has applied ecological management criteria to highway verges for several years, allowing these surfaces to function as habitats and corridors that connect different natural spaces. This strategy aims to combat habitat loss, landscape fragmentation, and the decline of floral resources for bees, butterflies, and bumblebees.