EU target aims to restore at least 20% of land and sea ecosystems by 2030 despite farmers’ protests and rightwing opposition
Ajit Niranjan
The European parliament has given the green light to a watered-down law to restore nature, after weeks of fierce protests from farmers and a last-ditch attempt from rightwing parties threatened to sink the deal.
“Today is an important day for Europe as we move from protecting and conserving nature to restoring it,” said César Luena, a Spanish MEP from the centre-left Socialist and Democrats, who led negotiations on the proposal.
The new law – a key pillar of the EU’s contested green deal – sets a target for the EU to restore at least 20% of its land and sea by the end of the decade. By 2050, that should rise to cover all ecosystems in need of restoration.
“This law is not about restoring nature for the sake of nature,” said the EU environment commissioner, Virginijus Sinkevičius. “It is about ensuring a habitable environment where the wellbeing of current and future generations is ensured.”
The centre-right European People’s party (EPP), the biggest group in the parliament, joined far-right lawmakers in voting against the law on Tuesday. It argued that its rules placed too big a burden on farmers but welcomed that the text, which it pushed to weaken last year, “bears little resemblance” to the original proposal.
“We do not want new and more forms of bureaucracy and reporting obligations for farmers,” said Siegfried Mureșan, a Romanian MEP from the EPP, before the vote. “Let farmers farm.”
The EU and its member states have rowed back on several plans to protect the environment as farmers’ protests have spread across the continent and in some cases turned violent. In a clash with riot police on Monday, farmers set fire to tyres, sprayed police with liquid manure, and drove tractors through blockades in the European quarter of Brussels where agriculture ministers were meeting.
Farmers set fire to tyres in Brussels as EU officials meet to address concerns – video
The nature restoration law, which must be approved by the EU Council before it comes into force, calls on member states to restore at least 30% of drained peatland by 2030 and make progress on indicators of agriculture biodiversity that include increasing the number of grassland butterflies and farmland birds.
Environmental groups praised the outcome of the vote, which passed with the support of 329 lawmakers and was opposed by 275.
A coalition made up of BirdLife Europe, ClientEarth, European Environment Bureau and WWF EU said: “We are relieved that MEPs listened to facts and science, and did not give in to populism and fear-mongering. Now, we urge member states to follow suit and deliver this much-needed law to bring back nature in Europe.”
The nature restoration law was subject to an intense and negative media campaign before a key vote last year. In an open letter, 6,000 scientists criticised opponents of the law for spreading misinformation.
Since then, farmers have loudly protested against a range of policies to protect wildlife and cut pollution, which they say they cannot afford, as well as opposing trade deals with South America and grain imports from Ukraine.
Luena said: “I would like to thank scientists for providing the scientific evidence and fighting climate denial, and young people for reminding us that there is no planet B, nor plan B.”
MEPs approve Nature Restoration Law amid right-wing opposition and farmer protests
The European Parliament gave on Tuesday the green-light to the Nature Restoration Law, defying a conservative push to bring down the bill.
The law received 329 votes in favour, 275 against and 24 abstentions, a margin larger than initially expected. The outcome prompted applause and cheers from socialists and green MEPs as their right-wing colleagues stood quiet.
The vote was closely watched as it took place amid farmer protests, who have made the European Green Deal one of its main objects of criticism.
Still, the law approved on Tuesday had been heavily watered down during negotiations and lacks the ambition of the original proposal. The text will now go to the Council, where member states will hold the final vot
The Nature Restoration Law aims at rehabilitating at least 20% of the European Union's land and sea areas by 2030 and all degraded ecosystems by 2050. It establishes obligations and targets on different fields of action, such as farmlands, pollinators, rivers, forests and urban areas, to gradually reverse the environmental damage caused by climate change and unchecked human activity.
First presented by the European Commission in June 2022, it gained further significance after the landmark biodiversity agreement sealed at COP15.
But last year, the law became the target of a fierce opposition campaign by conservatives, particularly by the European People's Party (EPP), the Parliament's largest formation. The EPP repeatedly claimed the bill would threaten the livelihoods of European farmers, disrupt long-established supply chains, decrease food production, push prices up for consumers and even wipe out urban areas to make way for green spaces.
The arguments were strongly contested by left-wing groups, the European Commission, dozens of NGOs, thousands of climate scientists, the renewable industry and big businesses like IKEA, H&M, Iberdrola, Unilever, Nestlé and Danone, all of whom insisted the goal of restoring nature was compatible with economic activity and essential to ensure the long-term viability of European soils.
The EPP-led push to derail the Parliament's common position failed in July after a handful of conservatives rebelled and broke ranks to vote in favour of the draft law. This allowed MEPs to enter negotiations with the Council and reach a provisional agreement in November, which was expected to be rubber-stamped by both institutions.
However, the eruption in January of Europe-wide farmer protests reinvigorated the backlash against the Green Deal, as the agriculture sector directly blamed the bloc's environmental regulations as a reason for excessive bureaucratic burden.
The Nature Restoration Law, which had largely faded into the background, was once again thrust to the centre of the political storm. In the lead-up to the June elections, the EPP has positioned itself as the pro-farmers party.
"We still believe the Nature Restoration Law is badly drafted and was never up to the task in front of us," Manfred Weber, the EPP's chairman, said on Tuesday ahead of the vote.
"Inflation is today driven by the rise of food prices in supermarkets. We have to ask our farmers to produce more and not less to stabilise inflation."
Pedro Marques, from the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), struck back against the conservatives' claims and accused them of spreading "disinformation."
"This idea they're voting [against the law] because they care for the farmers. This is absolutely unacceptable. This is just populistic. This is misleading the Europeans and certainly our farmers," Marques said. "Denying the Green Deal, denying the climate emergency is certainly not the way to solve our problems."
Terry Reintke, co-president of the Greens, hailed Tuesday's vote as a "success" for biodiversity preservation, climate protection, farmers and food safety in the EU.
"It is a victory for the many environmental organisations and businesses that have been fighting for the Nature Restoration Law for months," Reintke told Euronews.
The German lawmaker noted the importance of making "the Green Deal future-proof for the next legislative period" and expressed hope that "Weber and his EPP group" would show that they stand behind the Green Deal "instead of looking to the far-right."
Manon Aubry, from The Left, said the positive outcome was a "huge relief" despite the "weakened" text. "The passage of the Nature Restoration Law is proof that the right/far-right alliance to defeat all green legislation is not strong enough against all those who defend the biodiversity and the planet," Aubry said in a statement.
Environmental NGOs, who had stepped up their outreach activities to counter the EPP's talking points, also welcomed the news.
"We are relieved that MEPs listened to facts and science, and did not give in to populism and fear-mongering," WWF, BirdLife Europe, the European Environment Bureau (EEB) and ClientEarth said in a joint statement. "Now, we urge member states to follow suit and deliver this much-needed law to bring back nature in Europe."
By contrast, the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, who had tabled a motion to dismiss the bill in its entirety, spoke of a "very unfortunate decision" that would entail "drastic consequences for rural areas and high economic risks and administrative burden for agriculture."
The survival of the law represents a brief respite for the Green Deal, which is under growing pressure from right-wing and liberal parties, the agriculture sector and industry associations. Earlier this month, the European Commission decided to withdraw a contentious bill designed to reduce by half the use and risks of pesticides by 2030.
This piece has been updated with more information about the vote.
PLENARY SESSION
Yesterday
EU countries must restore at least 30% of habitats in poor condition by 2030, 60% by 2040, and 90% by 2050
Provisions for agricultural ecosystems can be temporarily suspended under exceptional circumstances
Over 80% of European habitats are in poor shape
Photo caption: Parliament has adopted the first EU law to restore degraded ecosystems across the EU © Arnau / Adobe Stock
The new law sets a target for the EU to restore at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050.
The EU nature restoration law, agreed with member states, will restore degraded ecosystems in all member states, help achieve the EU’s climate and biodiversity objectives and enhance food security.
To reach the overall EU targets, member states must restore at least 30% of habitats covered by the new law (from forests, grasslands and wetlands to rivers, lakes and coral beds) from a poor to a good condition by 2030, increasing to 60% by 2040, and 90% by 2050. In line with Parliament’s position, EU countries should give priority to Natura 2000 areas until 2030. Once in a good condition, EU countries shall ensure an area does not significantly deteriorate. Member states will also have to adopt national restoration plans detailing how they intend to achieve these targets.
Agriculture ecosystems
To improve biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems, EU countries will have to make progress in two of the following three indicators: the grassland butterfly index; the share of agricultural land with high-diversity landscape features; the stock of organic carbon in cropland mineral soil. Measures to increase the common farmland bird index must also be taken as birds are good indicators of the overall state of biodiversity.
As restoring drained peatlands is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce emissions in the agricultural sector, EU countries must restore at least 30% of drained peatlands by 2030 (at least a quarter shall be rewetted), 40% by 2040 and 50% by 2050 (where at least one-third shall be rewetted). Rewetting will remain voluntary for farmers and private landowners.
The law provides for an emergency brake, as requested by Parliament, so targets for agricultural ecosystems can be suspended under exceptional circumstances if they severely reduce the land needed for sufficient food production for EU consumption.
Other ecosystems
The law also demands a positive trend in several indicators in forest ecosystems and an additional three billion trees to be planted. Member states will also have to restore at least 25 000 km of rivers into free-flowing rivers and ensure there is no net loss in the total national area of urban green space and of urban tree canopy cover.
Quote
After the vote, rapporteur César Luena (S&D, ES), said: “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 to fulfil many of our international environmental commitments. The regulation will restore degraded ecosystems while respecting the agricultural sector by giving flexibility to member states. I would like to thank scientists for providing the scientific evidence and fighting climate denial and young people for reminding us that there is no planet B, nor plan B.”
Next steps
The deal agreed with member states was adopted with 329 votes in favour, 275 against and 24 abstentions.
It now also has to be adopted by Council, before being published in the EU Official Journal and entering into force 20 days later.
Background
Over 80% of European habitats are in poor shape. The Commission proposed on 22 June 2022 a nature restoration law to contribute to the long-term recovery of damaged nature across the EU’s land and sea areas, to achieve EU climate and biodiversity objectives and to reach the EU’s international commitments, in particular the UN Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity framework. According to the Commission, the new law would bring significant economic benefits, as every euro invested would result in at least 8 euro in benefits.
This legislation is responding to citizens' expectations concerning the protection and restoration of biodiversity, the landscape and oceans as expressed in proposals 2(1), 2(3), 2(4) and 2(5) of the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
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