Legal & Regulatory News

European Parliament votes on the EU nature restoration law

On 12 July 2023, the European Parliament adopted its position on the EU nature restoration law, with 336 votes in favour, 300 against and 13 abstentions. The proposed law is intended to contribute to the fulfilment of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 by requiring Member States to achieve established targets for nature restoration.

The proposed law is intended to help repair at least 20% of land and sea habitats which exist throughout the EU by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. This is to be achieved through processes such as rewilding, tree planting and by making urban areas greener.

The proposed law also contains binding targets for:-

• reversing the decline of pollinator populations by 2030; and  
• restoring drained peatlands; and 
• increasing biodiversity in agricultural habitats overall.

Following the concerns of some Members of the European Parliament over the potential reduction in agricultural land, the law will not be effective until the European Parliament receives more information from the European Commission on the necessary conditions to guarantee long-term food security. The obligation on Member States to achieve the targets incorporated into the law may also be postponed if there are exceptional socioeconomic consequences.

Click here to read the press release.  

Click here to read the adopted text.