Today, in Luxembourg, environmental ministers approved the Nature Restoration Law after months of negotiations. This landmark Law, the first of its kind to pass since the European Parliament elections, stands as one of the EU’s most significant environmental policies. It mandates member states to take action to restore nature on a fifth of their land and sea by 2030. With the ministers’ support, the policy can now become Law. However, six countries – Finland, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden – voted against the Law, while Belgium abstained. The vote took place after Austria’s environment minister, Leonore Gewessler of the Greens, supported the policy despite warnings from her conservative coalition partners, allowing it to pass by a narrow margin.
“Today’s decision is a victory for the #Natur. When future generations’ healthy and happy lives are at stake, bold decisions are needed. That is why I voted for this #Naturschutzgesetz today,” the Austrian environment minister posted on X after the vote.
Some European Union countries have rejected the proposed Law, citing concerns about the farming sector, environmental and sustainability standards, and implementation costs. The Netherlands and other countries have expressed worries that the policy could hinder the growth of wind farms and other economic activities. In addition, Poland has stated that the policy does not include a plan for funding nature protection.
“The last blow of this ideological legislature is the approval of the Regulation on the Restoration of Nature. Austria’s favourable vote, which arrived split internally, achieved a majority in the Environment Council. Italy supports the objective of ½ protect and repair ecosystems, but a balance is needed between environmental and economic sustainability. The Regulation, as it stands, negatively impacts the agricultural sector, increasing its economic and administrative burdens. We cannot ignore it, and we cannot vote for it”, the Italian Minister of Environment Vannia Gava posted on X.
Kai Mykkänen, minister of the environment of Finland, also emphasised in a post on X that the “now approved version is clearly more reasonable for 🇫🇮 than previous versions, but we would have still applied for improvements”. “By the way, the urgency to increase the pilot-like, corporate-financed nature restoration that we announced on Friday became even more urgent so that we can implement the EU restoration regulation approved today in a reasonable way from the point of view of the taxpayer”, noted Mykkänen.
The new Law, with its ambitious aim to reverse the decline of Europe’s natural habitats—81% of which are considered in poor health—and includes specific targets, such as restoring peat lands so they can absorb CO2 emissions, offers a glimmer of hope for the future of our environment.
The decision of Austria’s minister caused a crisis in the coalition government, as the Conservatives opposed the Law. The minister for EU affairs, Karoline Edtstadler, characterised Gewessler’s vote as unconstitutional. However, Belgium, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency and chairs ministers’ meetings, said the Austrian government’s opposition would not affect the legality of the EU ministers’ vote.
