Nature Restoration Law gets green light after Austria flips

euronews (in English)

After months of setbacks and difficult negotiations between the EU Council and the European Parliament, environment ministers voted today in Luxembourg to pass the Nature Restoration Law.

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00:00The law on nature restoration has been adopted by the European Union after months of negotiations.

00:12Meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, the environment ministers reached a qualified majority.

00:18The law aims to restore at least 20 percent of the bloc's land and sea areas by 2030.

00:25This is a relief for environmental organizations.

00:29It is historic because it will really set legally binding targets for member states

00:34to start restoring many degraded ecosystems from forests to freshwater ecosystems, to

00:42restore nature in cities, to restore pollinators, so it's really very important.

00:49The adoption, however, has caused a political stir.

00:52All eyes are on Vienna, which has shifted the balance of power between the capitals.

00:57Austria's ecologist climate minister has validated the law, making it possible to

01:01obtain a qualified majority, a decision that runs counter to the line taken by the Austrian

01:06chancellor.

01:08The head of the government, who comes from the center-right, said that his country intended

01:12to abstain, a choice ultimately rejected by the minister.

01:20I know I will face opposition in Austria on this, but I'm convinced that this is the time

01:25to adopt this law.

01:32The vote puts an end to a long campaign of political contestation, led mainly by the

01:37EPP.

01:38It's not even a debate about nature reservation anymore.

01:43In the long term, the law aims to restore all ecosystems in need by 2050.

02:07The member states will now have to submit their national plans for implementing these

02:10commitments to the European Commission.

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