The European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission reached a political agreement this week on the Nature Restoration Law. The plan aims to recover 20 percent of already damaged land and marine ecosystems across the Union by 2030, with full restoration expected by 2050.
“The deal restores not only life but also essential economic and social services, including food security, which touch the well-being and livelihoods of many people and activities,” said a Spanish official involved in the talks. Teresa Ribera, Minister of Ecological Transition, noted that the Spanish presidency of the Council of the EU led the negotiations alongside the European Parliament’s rapporteur, César Luena of PSOE.
Dried wetlands at Doñana, captured in current coverage of European environmental efforts, underscores the bid to bring degraded ecosystems back to health while strengthening resilience against climate impacts. Luena remarked that, seventy years after the European project began, there will be a common nature restoration policy that not only addresses ecological decline but also supports climate adaptation and economic stability.
The Nature Restoration Act builds on a 2022 proposal from the European Commission and aligns with biodiversity commitments made at the United Nations COP15. It sits alongside the Habitats and Birds Directives and the Natura 2000 network, with a target to restore at least 20 percent of degraded terrestrial and marine ecosystems by 2030 and all targeted restoration completed by 2050.
Urban green spaces cannot be reduced
The final agreement prioritizes restoring sites within Natura 2000 by 2030, reflecting several flexible provisions to reach a difficult consensus.
In addition, member states will adopt specific measures to halt pollinator declines and aim to restore 30 percent of drained peatlands used for agriculture by 2030; protect dead trees in forests to bolster biodiversity; avoid shrinking urban green spaces; and remove artificial barriers to rivers.
Urban green spaces are protected to maintain city ecosystems and the benefits they provide to residents. The plan also includes a process for evaluating financial resources at the Community level, assessing needs and, if necessary, proposing an increase in EU budget allocations to support restoration efforts.
Farmers receive recognition in the text: some measures can be postponed for up to one year in response to unforeseen emergencies. While the goals are ambitious, ministers acknowledged that some targets may require extended timelines to be met.
The agreement was not expected to be controversial in principle, but large agricultural interests opposed aspects of the plan from the outset. Interests aligned with Copa-Cogeca expressed concern as the European Parliament approached elections in mid-2024, complicating negotiations.
Obstacle course
Leaders within the European People’s Party have criticized future regulations as they consider the impact on agriculture, particularly as support for environmental and climate policies grows among farmers in the Netherlands, Poland, and Austria. The Commission has faced pressure from various political factions as it advances proposals that balance food security with biodiversity and energy goals.
Some critics argue the law could limit farming practices and slow renewable energy deployment, while supporters say it is a necessary step to curb climate risks and safeguard ecosystems for the long term. Environmental groups, many scientists, and a broad spectrum of civil society organizations have rallied behind the text, and nearly a million citizens signed petitions in its favor.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been careful to manage party dynamics in the Parliament, with some groups pushing to shape the final wording and delay voting. In the end, the Parliament managed to secure negotiating powers amid a coalition that spanned socialists, liberals, greens, and parts of the left, aided by cross-party support from other groups. Some members of the party group aligned with the furthest-right fractions faced voting discipline breaches in the process.
All parties involved described the negotiations as unusual, since member states pressed for a more forceful stance than the Parliament itself typically does on environmental issues. The political agreement now moves to formal approval by both the Council of the EU and the European Parliament plenary.