In a historic move, EU lawmakers and member states have reached an agreement on a groundbreaking law aimed at safeguarding nature, part of the ambitious European green deal. The nature restoration law mandates EU countries to rejuvenate a minimum of 20% of the bloc’s land and seas by the decade’s end. The legislation includes binding targets, escalating to 90% by 2050, to restore degraded habitats.
Spanish Environment Minister Teresa Ribera emphasized the urgency, stating, “We are faced with an increasingly dramatic reality: the EU’s nature and biodiversity are in danger and need to be protected.”
Despite contentious debates, the law survived challenges, including opposition from the European People’s Party (EPP). The final text reflects compromises, with notable revisions such as the removal of a 10% farmland requirement for landscape elements and clarifications on the use of EU farming funds for nature protection.
Environmental campaigners, while offering tempered support, highlighted the importance of not abandoning European citizens. Sofie Ruysschaert, Nature Restoration Policy Officer at BirdLife Europe, expressed relief that negotiators had not entirely failed.
The law responds to the alarming decline in nature, emphasized by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) in 2019. With over 80% of habitats in poor condition in Europe, the legislation aims to reverse this trend and address global commitments, including the pledge to protect 30% of the planet by 2030.
Critics, including the EPP, secured concessions for farmers, such as an “emergency brake” to halt environmental targets if food production is jeopardized. Despite reservations, the law’s proponents argue that nature restoration is a cost-effective method to enhance safety from extreme weather and mitigate planet-heating pollution.
Katrin Böhning-Gaese, Director of the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, hailed the result, stating, “From a scientific and economic point of view, it is crystal clear that we need to protect and restore nature better if we want to live a good life on Earth today and in the future.”
While acknowledging the progress, entomologist Josef Settele noted that the 20% restoration target falls short of the global community’s agreed-upon 30%. The law now awaits formal adoption by the parliament and council, with member states required to develop national action plans for habitat protection. The negotiations also tasked the commission with assessing EU funding and addressing potential gaps one year after the law takes effect.
