On July 12th, the European Parliament gave the green light to the legislative processing of the Nature Restoration Act after a challenging vote that was resolved by a narrow margin, with Members of the European Parliament managing to prevent the rejection of the negotiating position of the European Parliament.
The bill continues to advance in the European chamber, despite having been softened after the approval of 129 amendments. The European Parliament has taken a favorable position on the EU Nature Restoration Act. Finally, the acceptance of the entire text was voted on, and the proposal was approved with 336 votes in favor, 300 votes against, and 13 abstentions.
This law is crucial to reduce biodiversity loss and the risks it poses to food security, as well as to meet the European Union’s (EU) climate neutrality targets by 2050.
The Nature Restoration Act, a key initiative of the European Green Deal, is still alive. Its main objective is to set legally binding targets for rehabilitating degraded habitats and lost species.
What is the European Green Deal?
On December 11, 2019, the European Commission (EC) announced the birth of the “European Green Deal,” whose main goal is to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.
The European Green Deal is a roadmap that the European Union (EU) has established to fight climate change, one of the greatest challenges facing humanity today. Achieving the decarbonization of the European Union (EU) by 2050 will be accomplished through strategic policies that are transforming how we consume, move, produce energy, work, and ultimately, our way of living.
Nature Restoration Act
The text of the Nature Restoration Act is one of the most ambitious initiatives of the European Union. Its aim is to restore 20% of the EU’s marine and terrestrial areas by 2030 and increase the protection of all affected ecosystems by 2050. It also intends to create more green areas in cities, take actions to halt the decline of bees, and reduce the use of chemical pesticides.
The primary goal at the moment is for the European Parliament and the European Council to agree on the final regulation for the Nature Restoration Act before the end of this year. According to the European Commission, this new legislation will bring significant economic benefits, as every euro invested would generate at least 8 euros of benefits.
From now on, negotiations are set to begin, which are expected to be long and complex, with no guarantee of success. The phase of negotiation between the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the European Council (the so-called “trilogues”) will start, with the presence of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU).
Source: Ambientum
