MEPs on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee have adopted the provisional political agreement on the Nature Restoration Law today (Wednesday, November 29).
The new law, which aims to restore at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050, was adopted with 53 votes to 28 and 4 abstentions.
A deal between the European Parliament and the EU Council was reached on the controversial law earlier this month. However, the full European Parliament still has to vote.
The vote is tentatively scheduled for the Plenary session in Strasbourg between February 26-29, 2024. The agreed text also still has to be formally adopted by the council.
Both Irish MEPs on the environment committee, Independents for change MEP Mick Wallace and Green Party MEP Grace O’Sullivan voted in favour of the agreed text today.
Nature Restoration Law
The text sets targets to restore 30% of drained peatlands under agricultural use by 2030, 40% by 2040 and 50% by 2050. However, flexibility will be provided when rewetting peatlands.
Strongly affected member states will be able to apply a lower percentage and reaching rewetting targets does not imply an obligation for farmers and private landowners.
An “emergency brake” will allow the suspension of agricultural ecosystem targets in the case of severe EU wide consequences on the availability of land required for food production.
The agreed text also states that member states shall, where appropriate, incentivise rewetting to make it an “attractive” option for farmers and landowners.
Speaking after the vote MEP Wallace stressed that farmers and landowners should not “fear” the regulation, but instead should welcome the “opportunities” it will provide.
“This is not something farmers should fear. The regulation is about restoration, not protection, and this is an important distinction. Restoration does not mean taking land out of production.
“And the text of the provisional agreement specifically states that any rewetting of agriculturally drained peatlands will be voluntary for farmers and private landowners,” MEP Wallace said.
Welcoming that the law will “live to fight another day”, he said that if it survives the final Plenary vote, the EU will have a law that will help tackle the climate and biodiversity emergencies.