80 percent of natural habitats in the European Union are in poor condition and ten percent of bee and butterfly species are at risk of extinction. These are just excerpts from a devastating inventory analysis of nature in the EU. In order to save them after all, negotiators from the European Parliament and the member states agreed on a nature conservation law during the night. In the future, more forests will be reforested, moors will be irrigated and rivers will be restored to their natural state. Member states should draw up national “recovery plans”, for example to stop the loss of biodiversity.
The law, which is considered a pillar of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s Green Deal, was preceded by a heated dispute. The Christian Democrats in particular were against the project and tried to put it on hold completely. However, a motion to reject the law did not receive a majority in parliament in the summer.
The biggest point of contention was the stricter requirements for farmers. The law initially stipulated that they had to make up to ten percent of agricultural land available for environmentally friendly measures. This is no longer included in the negotiated compromise. Green MP Jutta Paulus, who was involved in the negotiations, speaks of some painful compromises. What is important, however, is the signal that the EU takes international obligations seriously. The Christian Democrats pushed through significant easing in the negotiations.
The EU Commission, in turn, welcomes the outcome of the negotiations. By 2030, the EU states should carry out measures on at least 20 percent of land and sea areas to restore a good condition. The compromise reached still has to be formally approved by the EU states and the European Parliament. Normally this is a formality. In this case, however, it is not entirely certain whether enough Christian Democrats from the EPP will agree to the compromise to get a sufficient majority in Parliament.