Comment: The Nature Restoration Law survived
Last week, the European Parliament (EP) finally voted in favour of the Nature Restoration Law. What should have been a formality became a final battle.
The law had already passed the Parliament, the Council and the so-called trialogue (tripartite negotiations between the Commission, the Council and the EP) and was only supposed to be formally adopted by the EP and later by the Council, but at the last moment the conservative EPP group in the Parliament proposed to scrap the law after all. They were supported by the right-wing group I&D. Swedish MEPs from M, KD, C and SD voted against the law. However, the law was adopted by the EP thanks to several EPP MEPs breaking the group line and voting in favour of the law.
The Restoration Law aims to restore degraded ecosystems, including forest, agricultural and aquatic environments. The bill has been criticised for imposing too stringent requirements on farmers and forest owners, while those who defend the bill argue that it is an important first step towards greater environmental consideration. Stockholm University's Baltic Sea Centre has responded to the consultation on the draft law. Read our position paper on this matter.
Text: Gun Rudquist
Last updated: March 6, 2024
Source: Baltic Sea Centre