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EU law on the restoration of nature is as good as adopted
Photo: urbazon / Getty Images
After months of dispute, the negotiators of the European Parliament and the EU states agreed on a compromise of the EU Renaturation Act on Friday night. This is intended to ensure more nature and climate protection. According to EU figures, around 80 percent of habitats in the European Union are in poor condition. In addition, ten percent of bee and butterfly species are threatened with extinction and 70 percent of soils are in an unhealthy condition.
In order for nature in the EU to recover, the new law aims to reforest more forests, rewet peatlands and restore rivers to their natural state. To combat insect mortality, Member States should also take measures to reverse the decline by 2030 at the latest.
Fewer obligations for farmers
The law was preceded by a fierce controversy, among other things because of fears of strict requirements for farmers. The Christian Democrats, in particular, were up in arms against the project and tried to put it on ice completely. However, a motion to reject the law did not get a majority in parliament in the summer.
With the compromise now negotiated, farmers will not be obliged to make a certain percentage of their land available for environmentally friendly measures, as farmers had feared. The compromise still has to be formally approved by the EU member states and the European Parliament. Normally, this is a formality. In this case, however, it is not entirely certain that enough Christian Democrats from the EPP will agree to the compromise to get a sufficient majority in the Parliament.
"The EPP Group will seriously examine and carefully weigh up today's results before the upcoming decisions in the Environment Committee and in the plenary," said CDU negotiator Christine Schneider. Nature conservation and climate targets went hand in hand with agriculture and forestry. EU agricultural policy funds should not be used for measures under the law. She was pleased that the other groups had moved in the direction of the Christian Democrats on many central issues.
Greens: "Good basis despite exceptions"
MEP Jutta Paulus, who was involved in the negotiations for the Greens, spoke of some painful compromises. However, it is important to send a signal that the EU takes international obligations seriously. The Christian Democrats had pushed through significant relaxations in the negotiations. "The compromise on the Renaturation Act is a good basis for finally counteracting the extinction of species in Europe," said Paulus, "Despite exceptions, the overarching goals and all ecosystems defined as worthy of protection remain part of the new law."
The EU Commission welcomed the outcome of the negotiations. By 2030, EU countries are to implement nature conservation measures on at least 20 percent of land and sea areas in order to restore good status. In a statement, the environmental organization WWF spoke of loopholes in the law. The many exceptions and flexibility in the obligations of the EU states are disappointing.
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