The European Union's environment ministers have passed the Nature Restoration Law. The Nature Restoration Law has been the source of controversy and discussion for many months. The adoption of the Nature Restoration Law was announced by the Belgian EU Presidency. At Monday’s vote in Luxembourg Austria's Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler (Green) voted in favour of the law against the wishes of the country’s conservative Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer. Belgium abstained.
The law requires EU countries to restore at least 20% of environmentally degraded land and marine areas by 2030. The new EU regulation will also apply to all threatened ecosystems by 2050. The negotiators from the various member state governments had agreed this with MEPs in November 2023. However, this law remains highly controversial, especially among those in agricultural.
Prior to Monday’s vote the final approval of the new law by the EU’s 27 member state government was considered to be a formality. However, with Italy, Finland, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Hungary all speaking out against it during the Council of Minister it clearly wasn’t a done deal. Belgium abstained.
Belgium disunited
As Belgium’s regions (that are responsible for the environment) were unable to agree on a common position regarding the new law, Belgium abstained. Flanders is against the new law while Wallonia and Brussels are in favour.