On Wednesday, the European Parliament voted to adopt the hotly-debated nature restoration law (NRL), which aims to restore Europe's damaged habitats and protect ecosystems from further degradation.
While the law survived an intense opposition campaign, it has also been delayed and stripped of essential targets, environmentalist groups say.
The flagship biodiversity legislation has been the centre of a political battle in recent months, with rightwing opposition casting doubt about the future of EU green legislation. The law would impose the first legally-binding targets to restore ecosystems and habitats in the EU, 80% of which are estimated to be in poor condition.
Right-leaning European political groups led by the European People's Party (EPP) had previously walked out on negotiations and demanded the law be scrapped. The party rallied against the law, claiming that its biodiversity provisions would hurt European farmers and reduce food security. Such claims have been refuted by scientists, activists and other MEPs.
"The Green Deal lives on!", said German MEP Jutta Paulus and Greens shadow rapporteur on the file. "The European Parliament votes for protection from droughts, fires and floods, and long-term food security." Spanish MEP and co-rapporteur César Luena hailed today's vote as a "collective victory".
But the bill's main critics sought to highlight how much they had watered down the measures. EPP chairman Manfred Weber said in a press conference: "It's an empty win for them [the Greens] and that's why, on content, a lot of questions are in a way in our interest, but also a lot of questions are still open."
'Ransacked by the vested interests of our lawmakers'
Although the law passed, enthusiasm from environmentalist groups was tempered. BirdLife Europe, WWF Europe and others celebrated the law "despite an unprecedented, and often outright absurd, disinformation campaign to destroy it." Various important amendments were voted down, weakening the impact of the final legislation.
Notably, before the law can ever be implemented the Commission must provide scientific data on the conditions that can guarantee long-term food security. Environmental NGOs say that this measure is a direct result of the "scare-mongering campaign" led by the EPP and far-right groups.
Various MEPs who support the nature restoration law gather before the vote. Credit: S&D Group
"Although the European Parliament adopted the NRL today, the law has been ransacked by the vested interests of many of our lawmakers and we’ve been left with a shell of a law," said Ioannis Agapakis, nature conservation lawyer at ClientEarth.
"Today’s vote should have been about securing a pathway to restore our environment for the future survival of people and the planet. Instead, citizens will be left to defend a law that we fear will be profoundly inadequate to tackle the urgent biodiversity and climate crises."
Breaking party lines
After a tense vote in the Environment Committee two weeks ago, the plenary vote in the European Parliament was expected to be tight. A motion to reject the entire proposal, filed by the EPP group, failed by a narrow majority, prompting MEPs to vote on the 136 amendments of the text.
The amended text was eventually adopted with 336 votes in favour, 300 against and 13 abstentions. While most of the support came from the S&D group, the Greens, the Left, and Renew, there were 21 EPP members who broke with the party line and backed the proposal on the final vote.
20 youth activists from Belgium France Germany Austria Poland Sweden organised action wid 100 ppl at Strasbourg including delegation, MEPs such as Manon Aubry Terry Reintke Iratxe Garcia Perez Pascal Canfin, activists wanted to shed light on vote abt nature restoration law pic.twitter.com/dxVHcaSxw8
— Neel Kamal (@NeelkamalTOI) July 11, 2023
EPP Chief Manfred Weber has been accused by liberals and Socialists of using political manipulation to sabotage the measures, particularly in the committee votes where the law was rejected. The head of the Environment Committee, Renew MEP Pascal Canfin has accused Weber of blackmailing and bullying his party members into supporting the law.
The EPP crusade against the nature restoration law was particularly questionable since the proposal comes from the EU Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen – herself an EPP member. Von der Leyen has been silent in the face of perpetual attacks, making the nature restoration law seem like the backdrop for an inner power struggle among different EPP flanks.
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German MEP Jutta Paulus suggests that these power plays will have a lasting impact on European politics. "Manfred Weber and his anti-Von der Leyen coalition with right-wing conservatives and right-wing extremists have damaged the reputation of the European Parliament with their destructive intrigues!", the MEP wrote in a statement.
With the nature restoration law adopted by the European Parliament, negotiations will begin between the EU Council, Commission and Parliament.
