European lawmakers, following a highly contentious political battle, have granted approval to a bill that mandates European Union countries to rehabilitate 20 percent of their degraded natural areas on land and at sea. This legislation forms a crucial part of the EU’s Green Deal environmental initiative and was passed with 336 votes in favor, 300 against, and 13 abstentions. The next step involves a committee composed of representatives from the EU executive, Parliament, and national governments, which will engage in negotiations to finalize the bill. Although this process may take several months, the vote in Strasbourg, France signifies the principle of passing the measure into law.
The bill that received approval from the Parliament had undergone modifications from the original proposal, with lawmakers introducing over 2,300 amendments—an unusually high number. The extensive amendments led to accusations of spreading disinformation among politicians. Initially, the law failed to pass three committee votes after marathon late-night sessions.
Just a day before the final vote, environmental activists, including prominent figure Greta Thunberg, confronted upset farmers driving tractors from across Europe in scorching heat outside Parliament in Strasbourg. The center-right European People’s Party, which represents farmers, spearheaded the opposition to the bill. They argued that the proposed policy posed risks to food production, could lead to a surge in inflation, and would harm farmers who have already been adversely affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Although the party’s leader, Manfred Weber, urged the European Commission to withdraw the bill and draft a new proposal, his request was rejected by the majority of lawmakers.
In contrast, environmental experts, community groups, and numerous businesses dismissed claims that the policy would hinder food production. More than 6,000 scientists from esteemed European universities, including Oxford, Athens, and Zurich, affirmed that these claims lacked scientific evidence and were contradictory. These experts emphasized that, in the long run, climate change and nature degradation posed the greatest threats, underscoring the importance of the proposed policy in ensuring sustainable food production.
The final outcome on Wednesday prompted enthusiastic support from proponents, resulting in a standing ovation and celebrations among lawmakers. César Luena, a Spanish lawmaker who played a leading role in supporting the bill, hailed it as a significant societal triumph that would benefit everyone. Luena highlighted the vital connection between healthy ecosystems and robust economic systems that rely on them.
Land restoration offers relief from climate change and plays a critical role in addressing the global biodiversity crisis, which threatens the extinction of millions of plant and animal species. In December, nations around the world agreed on 23 targets to combat biodiversity loss, with Europe striving for ambitious action during negotiations. One of the targets commits nations to restore at least 30 percent of the planet’s degraded land, freshwater, and marine areas by 2030. While the new nature restoration bill was reduced to 20 percent, it serves as one of the initial instances where governments have translated commitments into policy.
Europe has experienced the consequences of climate change in recent years, with record-breaking heatwaves, droughts, and floods claiming thousands of lives across the continent. Heatwaves, in particular, are escalating in frequency and intensity in Europe at a faster rate than nearly any other region, including the Western United States. A study published this week in the journal Nature Medicine revealed that over 61,000 people died in Europe last year due to extreme heat, and experts warn that the forthcoming months could be even more severe. Additionally, Northern Italy witnessed the displacement of approximately 30,000 individuals due to the worst flooding in over a century.
Supporters of the bill argue that Europe has no alternative but to restore biodiversity in the long run if it desires to sustain food production and achieve the binding target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the bloc by 2050. The European Commission views the nature restoration bill as essential for the continent’s future, emphasizing the need to preserve Europe’s deteriorating natural areas, 81 percent of which are classified as being in “poor condition.” Frans Timmermans, the bloc’s environmental policy chief, stated last month that nature is indispensable in combating the climate crisis, absorbing carbon, cooling cities, retaining water on dry land, and preventing flood damage. Timmermans stressed the necessity of assisting nature in restoring itself to meet the already agreed-upon goals.
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