Member states in the European Council voted today to approve the long-contested Nature Restoration Law, a key piece of legislation aimed at protecting and restoring natural ecosystems, and creating a mandated target for EU countries implement measures to restore at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030, after a last-minute decision by Austria to drop its opposition to the law.

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The law passed with approval of member stated representing 66% of the EU population, squeaking past the 65% required threshold.

The Nature Restoration Law was initially proposed by the European Commission in June 2022, with an objective to restore ecosystems, habitats and species across the EU’s land and sea areas, with studies indicating that more than 80% of European habitats are in poor shape.

Under the new legislation, member states will be required to put into place restoration measures to restore at least 30% of habitats that are in poor condition by 2030, increasing to 60% by 2040, and 90% by 2050, and to regularly submit national restoration plans indicating how they will deliver on the targets. The law sets out specific requirements for a broad range of ecosystems, covering wetlands, grasslands, forests, rivers and lakes, as well as marine ecosystems such as seagrass and sponge and coral beds.

Additional regulations under the legislation include a requirement for member states to set out measures to reverse the decline of pollinator populations, put in place restoration measures for organic soils in agricultural use constituting drained peatlands, viewed as one of the most cost-effective measures to reduce emissions in the agricultural sector and improve biodiversity, an efforts-based requirement to prevent significant deterioration of areas subject to restoration that have reached good condition, and to achieve an increasing trend in urban green areas.

The successful adoption of the law was brought into significant doubt in March, after a vote in Council to approve the legislation was removed from the agenda in March after several member states, including Austria, Belgium, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden indicated that they would oppose or abstain, removing the majority required to pass the approval threshold, despite the text having been agreed on in a deal between the Council and EU Parliament. Concerns raised by the states opposing the law included the economic burden of the new requirements, and the impact of the legislation on the agricultural sector, in addition to food security issues.

In a last minute reversal however, Austria’s Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler on Sunday announced that she would support the law in today’s vote in the Council, once again giving the law the necessary support to pass.

In a social media post following the vote, Gewessler said (translated):

“My conscience tells me unequivocally: When the healthy and happy lives of future generations are at stake, courageous decisions are needed. That is why I voted for this nature conservation law today.”

The approval in Council marks the last major step towards the final adoption of the new legislation, with the Nature Restoration Law now set to enter into force following its publication in the EU’s Official Journal.

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