The European Parliament announced today that it has adopted measures aimed at restoring and protecting natural habitats and ecosystems, including a mandatory target for EU countries to implement measures to restore at least 20% of the EU's land and sea areas by 2030, and for all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050.
The new law was passed with a narrow majority of 329 votes in favour, 275 against and 24 abstentions, after the European People's Party (EPP), the largest party in Parliament, announced earlier this week that it would vote against the legislation, citing concerns on the impact of the new law on farmers, including increased bureaucracy and reporting obligations.
In a statement released before the vote, EPP Group vice-president Siegfried Mureșan said:
“There are fears that many Member States will use the law to introduce bureaucracy and sweeping monitoring and reporting obligations for farmers and foresters, while claiming that the EU is forcing them to do so. As a result, affected farmers and foresters would once again look to Brussels with resentment, when the problem is internal and resides within their respective national governments.”
The proposed new law narrowly survived the parliamentary approval process last year, also following a campaign led by the PPE, under allegations that the proposals would threaten food security and agriculture, and work against the country's climate and clean energy objectives. Europe, by reducing energy production capacity. sources such as hydroelectric energy and biomass. To gain approval, the legislation included a series of adjustments to the initial proposal, including adding a new article ensuring that the law does not block renewable energy infrastructure projects overwhelmingly in the public interest, and requiring the European Commission provide data under the conditions necessary to ensure long-term food security.
The initial proposal was launched by the European Commission in June 2022, with the aim of restoring ecosystems, habitats and species across all land and sea areas of the EU, with studies indicating that more than 80% of European habitats are in poor condition.
Under the new legislation, Member States will be required to implement restoration measures to restore at least 30% of habitats that are in poor condition by 2030, increasing to 60% by 2040 and 90% by 2050, and to report regularly national restoration plans indicating how they will meet targets.
The law sets out specific requirements for different types of ecosystems, covering wetlands, grasslands, forests, rivers and lakes, as well as marine ecosystems such as seagrasses and sponges and coral beds.
Additional regulations under the legislation include the requirement for Member States to establish measures to reverse the decline of pollinator populations, implement restoration measures for agriculturally used organic soils that constitute drained peatlands, seen as one of the most cost-effective measures to reduce emissions in the agricultural sector and improve biodiversity, a requirement based on efforts to avoid significant deterioration of areas subject to restoration that have reached good condition, and to achieve an increasing trend in urban green areas.
Following Parliament's position, the law also includes an “emergency brake” to suspend its agricultural ecosystem targets if they severely reduce the land needed to produce enough food for EU consumption.
The new legislation will now have to be adopted by the EU Council before it comes into force. Member States will be required to submit their first nature restoration plans within two years of the law coming into force.
After the vote, MEP and rapporteur César Luena stated:
“Today is an important day for Europe, as we move from protecting and conserving nature to restoring it. The new law will also help us meet many of our international environmental commitments. The regulation will restore degraded ecosystems while respecting the agricultural sector, giving flexibility to Member States. I would like to thank scientists for providing scientific evidence and fighting climate denial, and young people for reminding us that there is no planet B, no plan B.”
