Green Light for the EU Nature Restoration Law

After months of wrangling, the Nature Restoration Law has finally been enshrined into EU regulation after a last minute change of heart by Austrian Green Minister Leonore Gewessler, who defied her conservative coalition colleagues to cast a deciding vote in favour.

The new law, voted in by the majority of member states after months of tense negotiations, was strongly backed by Ireland’s Minister of State for Nature Malcolm Noonan and Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan, as well as boosted by major campaigns by groups of science and businesses leaders. It sets a target for the EU to restore at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050.

The law will help achieve the EU’s climate and biodiversity objectives and enhance food security. Member states will have to adopt national restoration plans detailing how they intend to achieve targets, with Ireland’s plan currently being developed by National Parks & Wildlife Services.

Agriculture ecosystems

To improve biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems, EU countries will have to make progress in two of the following three indicators: the grassland butterfly index; the share of agricultural land with high-diversity landscape features; the stock of organic carbon in cropland mineral soil. Measures to increase the common farmland bird index must also be taken as birds are good indicators of the overall state of biodiversity.

As restoring drained peatlands is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce emissions in the agricultural sector, EU countries must restore at least 30% of drained peatlands by 2030 (at least a quarter shall be rewetted), 40% by 2040 and 50% by 2050 (where at least one-third shall be rewetted). Rewetting will remain voluntary for farmers and private landowners, with work already under way in Ireland by Bord Na Móna permitting Ireland to reach our targets.

Read more on the EU Parliament website.