Adopted by the European Commission on 22 June 2022, the Proposal for a Nature Restoration Law is a key element of the EU Biodiversity Strategy, which calls for binding targets to restore degraded ecosystems, and particularly those with the most potential to capture and store carbon and to prevent and reduce the impact of natural disasters. The EU has been protecting natural species and areas for decades through the Birds and Habitats Directive. Despite these efforts and some limited improvements for ecosystems, the most recent assessment of EU nature by the European Environment Agency from 2020 document the alarming decline in species population and the shrinking and degradation of their habitats.
Since the adoption of the Bird and Habitats Directives in 1992, for the first time ever the Commission set out a proposal for measures not only to preserve but to restore nature. The proposal sets multiple binding restoration targets and obligations across a broad range of ecosystems, from rivers and marine habitats to urban areas, forests and agricultural land, complementing existing legislation. These nature restoration measures should cover at least 20 % of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030, and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. To implement the proposed regulation, Member States would be required to develop nature restoration plans, to be assessed by the Commission. The proposed nature restoration law also entails a specific objective to reverse the decline of pollinator populations by 2030. When it comes to agricultural ecosystems, the text requires member states to put measures in place aiming to achieve increasing trends in at least two of the following three indicators:
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the grassland butterfly index
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the share of agricultural land with high-diversity landscape features (HDLFs)
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the stock of organic carbon in cropland mineral soil
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When nature is off balance, natural ecosystems lose their ability to provide vital services necessary for human life, among which the supply of raw materials that are key to all production value chains. The adoption of an EU-wide nature restoration law can put the EU’s degraded ecosystems on a path to recovery, thus ensuring the continuous supply of the valuable resources upon which rely human well-being and prosperity.
On 12 July 2023, the new rules passed at the European Parliament’s plenary (336 in favour, 300 against and 13 abstentions). The file had to face a strong opposition, in particular, from the conservative European People’s Party group, which argued that the legislation will have detrimental consequences for EU farmers by withdrawing land from production and jeopardizing food security.
From its side, the Nature Restoration Law’s impact assessment estimates 8€ of benefit in return per 1€ invested in nature restoration. The role of rural entrepreneurs, farmers and foresters at first, is key in nature restoration actions and the effects of the legislation in some areas will be relevant. Nevertheless, Member States will be called to define a national framework and plan that will also bring opportunities in terms of climate resilience for the rural context. You can read more on the specific effects of the legislations on farmers and land managers on this policy brief published by the Institute for European Environmental Policy.
Just some days ago, on 29 November, the final text of the Nature Restoration Law has been strongly approved by the members of the Environment Committee of the European Parliament (53 to 28 votes).
The co-legislators agreed to provide flexibility to member states when rewetting peatlands, as some will be disproportionately impacted by these obligations. The text sets targets to restore 30% of drained peatlands under agricultural use by 2030, 40% by 2040 and 50% by 2050, although member states that are strongly affected will be able to apply a lower percentage. Restoration measures include the rewetting of organic soils constituting drained peatlands, which helps increase biodiversity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The co-legislators also agreed that the achievement of the rewetting targets does not imply an obligation for farmers and private landowners.
They also introduced a possibility to suspend the implementation of those provisions of the regulation related to agricultural ecosystems for up to one year via an implementing act, in the event of unforeseeable and exceptional events outside of the EU’s control and with severe EU-wide consequences for food security.
The provisional agreement will now have to be endorsed and formally adopted by the co-legislators before entering into force.
Positive long-term effects will require short term costs for changing rural practices. On the other hand, rural entrepreneurs can keep counting on the support of public funding, such as those related to the CAP and other EU funds. Some of these instruments will be presented in the OREN training course.