EU Approves Watered-Down Nature Restoration Law Amid Controversy; Final Votes Still Uncertain

Watered-down EU Nature Restoration Law, aiming to restore 20% of EU's land and sea habitats by 2030, faces opposition from conservative factions over potential impacts on farming and industry; final approval still in doubt.

The European Union has reached a provisional agreement on the Nature Restoration Law, which aims to restore at least 20% of environmentally degraded lands and seas by 2030. The law is part of the EU's European Green Deal, which seeks to establish the world's most ambitious climate and biodiversity targets.
The law has faced significant opposition, particularly from the Christian Democrat EPP, the largest political group in the EU's legislature. The EPP argues that the law could undermine food security, fuel inflation, and hurt farmers. As a result, only a watered-down version of the law will proceed to final votes.
The law has been criticized for being 'hollowed out' to the point of being 'toothless in practice and prone to abuse', according to Ioannis Agapakis, a lawyer at the ClientEarth conservation group. The weakening of provisions has set a 'very frightening precedent for EU law-making', rather than establishing the EU as a leader in biodiversity conservation.
Despite the opposition and criticism, the law has received conditional and guarded support from EU institutions and conservationists. However, the final adoption of the plan is still in doubt, as the EPP has not given the plan its full support for the final votes in parliament.
The law still needs to be formally approved by the EU member states and the European Parliament. This is usually a formality, but given the controversy surrounding the law, the final votes could still present hurdles.