A flagship policy to restore damaged nature has finally been given the legal seal of approval by the European Union Parliament, after agreement was reached by member state environment ministers, the Irish public service broadcaster, RTE, has announced.
Following months of delay and protests, this is the first environmental law to be passed since the June 2024 European Parliament elections. Ambitious in its scale, the so-called nature restoration law will require member states to adopt measures that will bring back nature to a fifth of their land and sea territories by 2030.
With EU Parliament members in support of the policy wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan ‘Restore Nature’ in the Strasbourg chamber, the new law was dramatically squeezed through, after the Austrian environment minister, Leonore Gewessler, turned against her conservative coalition partners and backed the policy.
She later told reporters: “I know I will face opposition in Austria on this, but I am convinced that this is the time to adopt this law.”
In an angry response, Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s conservative People’s Party said they would file a complaint at the European Court of Justice against an “unlawful” vote. “No one is above the law,” the chancellor’s office said in a statement, adding that it would file a separate criminal complaint against Ms. Gewessler in Austria, claiming “abuse of office”.
Despite the Austrian backlash, Belgium in their rotating presidency role, confirmed that they would not override the legality of the EU ministers’ vote.
Finland, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden voted against the law.
No food security if natural systems destroyed
As much as 81% of Europe’s natural habitats are classed as being in poor health. The new law is designed to reverse this decline. One particular initiative that has been earmarked is the restoration of peat land, which is known to be an effective absorber of CO₂ emissions.
Ireland’s Minister for the Environment, Eamon Ryan, said he was “proud of the central role” his country had played in getting the law agreed.
“We did so by arguing in recent weeks for it to come back for decision at this council today, when everyone else thought it was dead,” he said. “Restoring nature is in the interest of everyone. We will have no food security if our natural systems are destroyed.”
He added: “I believe the public overwhelmingly want to conserve rather than destroy the natural world, which enriches us all.”
Malcolm Noonan, the country’s Minister of State with responsibility for Nature, declared it had been an “historic day” for nature across Europe.
He said that tens of thousands of farmers had already participated in voluntary biodiversity programmes. Further incentives for the farming community would also be carried out on a non-obligatory basis, but he hoped that organisations throughout the industry would “get involved in the whole process.”
He said that an impact assessment would happen in parallel with a national plan, due to be established by 2026.
RTE reported that EU countries and the European Parliament had originally negotiated a deal on the law in 2023, but it had faced opposition from some Member governments, amidst a series of farmer protests angered by “costly EU regulations.”
Although a vote on the legislation was due in March, the plan was aborted when Hungary, who had supported the policy, suddenly switched allegiance.
Opponents of the new nature law, like the Netherlands, fear it could hinder wind farm expansion and disrupt other economic initiatives. Meanwhile, Poland have said a proper plan needs to be laid out as to how nature protection will be funded, according to the RTE report.
EU countries approve landmark nature law after delays (rte.ie)
