News Politics
Green light for controversial Nature Restoration Act
The Nature Restoration Act has not been swept off the table in the European Parliament today, although it was exciting. European Commissioner Frans Timmermans can breathe a sigh of relief, but critics think that the law can have major effects in a densely populated country like the Netherlands.
The European Parliament today voted by roll call on the bill. This came after the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee rejected the law and the vote of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety ended in a stalemate. 336 of the MEPs voted in favor of the bill and 300 against. The relevant ministers of the EU member states voted in favor before, after the law had been weakened. The Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Poland, and Italy resisted. The European Parliament also weakened the law slightly.
Postponement in case of socio-economic consequences
MEPs support the European Commission's proposal to introduce recovery measures for at least 2030% of all land and sea areas in the EU by 20, but want food security to be guaranteed in the long term and that targets can be postponed on the basis of exceptional socio-economic consequences. The objectives must also not stand in the way of new infrastructures for renewable energy and the Member States must first designate the areas where nature must be restored.
Member of Parliament Bert-Jan Ruissen (SGP), a fierce opponent from the very beginning, calls it 'a good thing' that the European Parliament has watered down the proposal somewhat. "This gives countries some freedom to choose which needs should take priority." Still, he "would have preferred the proposal to have been further rejected or further watered down." "The EU rules for nature restoration are still too rigid, too one-sided and too far-reaching. Many (rural) areas will be locked, at the expense of food production, housing construction and even road safety!"
The next step is for the European Parliament and the Council to reach an agreement.
Linda van Eekeres
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