Belgium is waiting for a new proposal from the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU on the draft European nature restoration law, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo told the Chamber of Representatives on Thursday.
As the EU’s three major institutions struggle over the nature restoration proposal, De Croo told MPs that the concerns expressed by Belgium had been taken into account by the European Commission.
On Thursday morning, a compromise proposal narrowly withstood a rejection in the Environment Committee of the European Parliament, with a 44-44 tie. The three-hour-long voting session did not lead to a decision and the final committee vote has been postponed to 27 June.
MEPs Tiemo Wölken (S&D, DE) César Luena (S&D, ES) and Mohammed Chahim (S&D, NL) during ENVI Vote on Nature restoration. Credit: EP Photo
This result “clearly shows that there are concerns” within the Union, said the Belgian head of government, who last month shocked the socialist and green wings of his governing coalition by calling for a “pause” in environmental regulations.
The text is due to be submitted to the Council of EU environment ministers on Tuesday 20 June. However, the Swedish presidency of the Council is suspected of wanting to bury the text by passing it on to the Spanish presidency, which is set to start on 1 July.
Belgium is among a group of countries that condemned this manoeuvre. “Sweden is in the process of drawing up a compromise position,” which should arrive soon, according to De Croo.
De Croo-VDL talks
As for the EU Commission, President Ursula von der Leyen opened the door to more lax regulations last week. “It is good that Mrs Von der Leyen has clarified certain points”, De Croo said, who has spoken to her several times in recent weeks on the subject.
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“I told her about Belgian concerns, which we hear from our farmers, our businesses, and many ordinary Belgians, and I am pleased that these concerns have been taken into account,” De Croo continued.
He calls for green growth that strikes a balance between sustainability, employment, the economy and agriculture. “This government has said on several occasions that it will not abandon anyone, and that must also apply to climate reform and biodiversity. We need to listen to the questions being asked by farmers, SMEs (small and medium enterprises) and citizens.”
De Croo says that Belgium will “always be ambitious” in the fight against climate change, by seeking a fair balance with nature, but also by ensuring “that those who have to achieve (the targets) are able to do so.”
