On Wednesday, the Commission presented two bills aimed at drastically reducing the use of pesticides and requiring states to restore damaged ecosystems. They must now be adopted by Parliament and the Council.
The European Commission presented on Wednesday in Brussels two draft environmental laws whose ambition is to breathe new life into the protection of nature. The first provides for a halving of the use of pesticides in Europe by 2030 and a ban on their use in “sensitive areas” (schools, parks and public gardens, sports fields, protected areas). The second establishes an obligation to restore nature, accompanied by legally binding objectives. These highly debated texts must now be adopted, possibly amended, by the Parliament and by the Council composed of the Member States. At the end of this process, they will be immediately applicable.
“The climate and biodiversity crises force us to change our behavior to avoid collective suicidejustified the executive vice-president of the Commission, Frans Timmermans. The longer we wait, the more expensive and difficult it will be. There is urgency, but it will take time for the text to apply in the Member States. The citizens are asking us for it.” 80% of protected habitats in Europe and 70% of soils are in a poor state of conservation and pollinators continue to decline.
With the law for the restoration of nature, the objective is to put in place active measures to repair damaged ecosystems (tree planting, depollution, return to a wild state) on one fifth of the land and sea surface. by 2030. The idea is not to create new protected areas, but to bring biodiversity back into human and economic activities. The text sets quantified and dated objectives, specific to each type of habitat. For example: halting the decline of pollinators in agricultural areas by 2030, halting the net loss of green spaces in urban areas, establishing 10% forest cover in every city in Europe, restoring the continuity of rivers (at least 25,000 kilometers of free courses by the end of the decade), renaturing drained wetlands, etc. Implementing these nature-based solutions will help curb soil erosion and combat climate change. Financially, it will make savings that the European Commission estimates at “8 euros saved for each euro invested”.
European-wide balance
As of the publication of the regulations in Official newspaper, States will have two years to adopt strategies involving scientists, farmers, foresters and other stakeholders. These national plans will be submitted to the Commission for analysis and comments. “In terms of these objectives and its construction, this proposal for a regulation constitutes the most significant progress since the habitat directive which established the Natura 2000 sites, thirty years ago”greets Christian Hosy, for the association France Nature Environnement.
Concerning the reduction of pesticides, the States will set their own objectives, taking care to maintain a balance at European level. Farmers should prioritize “alternative ecological methods of prevention” against insects and diseases, chemicals can only be used as a last resort. For five years, they will be able to call on the budget of the common agricultural policy to finance their transition. “An agriculture without pesticides will not necessarily be less productive, thanks to crop rotations, organic and precision farming, mechanization or seed selection”Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said on Wednesday, as fears of lower yields that could cause food insecurity have been raised by opponents of the law since the war in Ukraine.