The European Nature Restoration Law clears another obstacle and is approaching its approval in spring

2023-11-29 16:40:10

To recover 20% of the soil in poor condition

Correspondent

Brussels

Updated Wednesday, November 29, 2023 – 15:40

The Environment Commission of the European Chamber approves the text negotiated with the governments and will vote in February in the Plenary for its ratification, the penultimate step of a long process marked by the opposition of the European People’s Party

General view of Las Tablas de Daimiel, in the province of Ciudad Real, in the area known as “El TablazoEFE

The Environment, Public Health and Safety Committee of the European Parliament gave the green light this Wednesday to the provisional agreement with the Council on the Law for the restoration of nature with 53 votes in favor, 28 against and four abstentions. This is one of the most delicate, controversial and politicized dossiers of the entire legislature. A proposal launched by the European Commission last year and that seemed on track, but that She unexpectedly found herself with the vote against a large part of the European People’s Party, which was on the verge of overthrowing her.

The measure aims to restore 20% of the terrestrial and marine soil that is in poor condition in the European Union by 2030. According to the data managed by the European Commission, 80% of European habitats are today degraded. 70% of the agricultural lands are eroded, leaving losses of more than 1,000 million euros. 50% of fish have been reduced in the last decade. Or wetlands have decreased by half in the last half century.

This new advance step occurs just the day before the start of the United Arab Emirates Climate Summit (COP28), in which the protection of ecosystems will be one of the main topics.

Obstacles to its approval

The idea had ‘philosophical’ support, within the green priorities of the legislature, but The European People’s Party distanced itself before the summer, saying that it was too much, unbearable for farmers, winners and fishermen. That it came at a bad time and even if it had good intentions, it would impose too heavy a burden after a pandemic, a war and an energy crisis.

The decision-making process in the European Union is slow and complicated for those who are only used to national procedures. The Commission is the one who has the legislative initiative and who makes the proposals for Directives or regulations. The ball then passes almost simultaneously to the European Chamber and the Council of the EU, that is, the ministers of the 27 Member States. Both institutions have to seek a common position, some negotiating between ambassadors and capitals and the others through the different committees of Parliament. When the ambassadors reach a consensus, the ministers approve it in a Council. When deputies do the same, they vote first in the appropriate Committee, and then in the Plenary. But it doesn’t end there, far from it, the other way around.

Once each side has established its position, the most intense negotiations begin, known as Trilogues, since the technicians of the European Commission are also present. Once an agreement is reached, the steps have to be repeated again, since the final text is always very different from the initial one and not everyone finds it acceptable, so a new approval is needed from both the ministers and the European Parliament. .

Now we are at that step. On November 9, the talks on the Nature Restoration Law ended and today the Environment Committee has cleared the way, but The final vote is expected in the last days of February 2024 in the plenary. If it is positive and the ministers do not raise any objections, it could be approved before the end of the legislature, with the European elections in June. EPP sources say that they have not made a final decision, that there is time left and they want to see the details, the sensitivities. But after the defeats of June and July, when the legislative proposal could not be blocked, no more obstacles are expected.

“With this agreement European society wins, because our rivers, our forests and our wetlands win. The text will allow the European Union to provide itself with a policy to recover our degraded ecosystems, in line with the international commitments signed by the Union itself,” said the socialist MEP César Luena, who is vice president of the ENVI commission and rapporteur of this law. .