Nature Restoration Law passes after amendments lead to U-turn

European flags in front of the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

The European Commission’s proposal to tackle the biodiversity crisis has passed in the European Parliament after a last-minute reprieve.

The nature restoration proposal was finally adopted after frenetic negotiations and last-minute switching of votes by some MEPs in the European Parliament.

The highly contentious nature restoration proposal aims to restore at least 20% of the EU’s damaged land and sea areas by 2030, and all ecosystems by 2050.

It had looked dead in the water as late as last night, with the majority of MEPs set to vote against it, to the consternation of environmental campaigners and scientists who say it is vital in the midst of an unprecedented global biodiversity and climate crisis.

However, a number of MEPs, including all of Fine Gael’s, went against the position of its political grouping in the European Parliament.

A vote was taken by the European Parliament on Wednesday morning that voted not to reject the proposal by 324 votes to 312.

Sean Kelly, Deirdre Clune, Frances Fitzgerald, Colm Markey, and Maria Walsh were joined by some fellow European People’s Party (EPP) dissidents in voting to keep the nature restoration proposal alive, against the position of the EPP leadership which called for its rejection.

After the vote not to reject the proposal outright, MEPs then needed to agree on what form the proposal would take, with many amendments to the original proposal already tabled.

The new proposal passed shortly afterwards, with nature restoration now passed.

'A win for every person'

Following the vote in Strasbourg, Ireland South MEP Grace O’Sullivan said: “We have successfully fought off an attack on nature from Manfred Weber and the EPP. All Irish MEPs voted in favour of the Nature Restoration Law and this is the direct result of having Greens in government and in the European Parliament. 

"The Nature Restoration Law is now an inevitability and this is nothing short of a win for every person and place on the whole continent. We are all breathing a big sigh of relief today. Tomorrow we get back to work on negotiations with the Commission and Council.” 

Dublin MEP Ciarán Cuffe added: "Everyone one of us, no matter what side of the debate we fall on, are winners today. Each of us will benefit from increased food security, stronger economies, and greater protection from the impact of climate change that these measures to restore nature can provide. It is a testament to the resolve of pragmatic, progressive negotiators who were determined to save this law, and the sustained pressure placed on MEPs from the thousands of citizens, scientists, businesses, and NGOs who got in touch. We have heard their demands, and we are taking action."

However, independent MEP Mick Wallace cautioned that the proposal was severely weakened after the negotiations. 

"I’m pleased with the outcome of the final vote in the sense that the regulation lives to fight another day. In that sense it is a good day for the people of the EU, for nature and for farmers. But the text passed by Parliament today has been absolutely gutted. It’s a shell of the Commission’s proposal."

The nature restoration proposal has been politically divisive at home as well as in the halls of Strasbourg and Brussels.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's position that it "goes too far" is in direct contradiction to the Fianna Fáil TD and Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue and Green Party leader and Environment Minister Eamon Ryan, who have accused those in opposition as "scaremongering" around the rewetting of peatlands.

More than 80% of protected habitats across the EU are in a bad state, according to the European Environment Agency, with a combined area about half the size of Spain in need of restoration.

CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY HUB