The French-speaking centrist party Les Engagés is internally debating whether to align itself with its European Parliament political family and vote against the EU’s upcoming nature restoration law.
A heated row has been ongoing in the European Parliament over the last few weeks as the European People's Party (EPP) attempts to pull the rug under the EU's law to restore and protect European biodiversity, taking a hard stance against the proposal.
With the European Parliament set to vote on the proposed law on Thursday, Les Engagés’ Vice-President Yvan Verougstraete remained tight-lipped on his party’s position.
In an interview with the LN24 TV channel, Verougstraete argued that “we must be ambitious” about the planet and “must not take a break” in protecting it, as Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open VLD - Renew) had proposed to do recently.
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Yet the European People's Party group has strongly opposed the biodiversity protection plan.
The EU conservatives have taken particular issue with the law’s binding target to restore 20% of European land and sea by 2030, which they fear will negatively impact the continent’s farmers and food security.
On one hand, Verougstraete seemed to agree and added that companies may relocate if the law is passed. He explained that “we will have gained absolutely nothing” if factories are moved to China where they can emit three times as much CO2 as in Europe.
Yet it remains to be seen how Les Engagés will vote on Thursday after Verougstraete reminded LN24 viewers that his party is the “one that follows the EPP’s main line the least.”
Moreover, the Vice-President also revealed that the party is internally debating their place within the EPP as they have been frustrated over rejected amendments they had proposed at an EPP congress.
"We'll have to wait and see how the EPP's position evolves and how we fit in it,” Verougstraete concluded.
