A last-minute failure to green-light the so-called Nature Restoration Law will leave the European Union “empty-handed” at the upcoming UN summit on biodiversity, EU commissioner for Environment Virginijus Sinkevicius said during a bitter speech on Monday.
“In light of this deadlock, the EU’s and its member states’ international reputation is at stake” as they prepare for COP16, which is set to take place on Oct. 21-Nov. 1 in Colombia, Sinkevicius told the bloc’s 27 environmental ministers and their representatives after diplomats preparing Monday’s Environment Council decided to withdraw a text to restore natural areas from the ministers’ agenda, despite it having already reached the very end of its legislative course.
The move leaves it doubtful as to whether the EU will be able to to adopt its landmark nature protection and restoration legislation, just as some 200 nations around the world will travel to South America to present to the UN their strategy and action plans outlining how they intend to meet their obligations under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
“I honestly regret that a provisional agreement on the Nature Restoration Law cannot be sealed today, as it was initially planned, and I’m even more deeply worried about the political consequences of a non-conclusion of this key file … but also about the disastrous signal this would send in terms of our credibility, especially internationally,” the commissioner said.
“The current deadlock raises serious questions about the consistency and stability of the EU decision making process.”
Although co-legislators had reached a provisional agreement last year, the latest move means freezing the bill – possibly until after a new college of commissioners will be formed following the European Parliament elections on June 6-9.
The law, as agreed, aims to restore at least 20% of EU land and sea areas, as well as at least 30% of specific habitat types – prioritising protected sites under the existing Natura 2000 network – by 2030.
The states would also have to restore at least 60% of habitats in poor condition by 2040 and at least 90% by 2050, with some flexibility for very common and widespread habitats.
“Without the nature restoration law, we would also be missing a crucial tool to meet the binding targets we have jointly agreed and subscribed to in the EU Climate Law,” the commissioner said, referring to the EU goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and to eventually reach climate neutrality by 2050.
If there won’t be a positive vote on NRL any time soon, “we will discard the indispensable instrument that can help us become more resilient towards the devastating effects of climate change, we are fooling ourselves if we pretend that we can win our fight against climate change without nature,” Sinkevicius added.
“We are proud of our ambitious climate targets and our climate legislation, but at the same time we say that nature is some sort of luxury that we cannot afford right now.”
PROTESTS
Governments of Austria, Belgium, Finland, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Poland claimed the text would damage agriculture and therefore opposed it in light of recent protests from the sector.
However, Sinkevicius noted, the final agreement “includes reassurances that there are no direct obligations for farmers and adds food security as a clear objective of the law”.
The Commission insisted that trilogue negotiators went the extra mile last year in terms of addressing concerns from member states, which made it possible to find an agreement.
Besides, “numerous sectors rely on biodiversity and natural ecosystems. preserving and restoring nature is pivotal for maintaining a sustainable industry and economy,” Sinkevicius said.
“We should not take the European Green Deal as a scapegoat. On the contrary, it is the step forward to modernise our economy and, in this whole framework, one essential part is the Nature Restoration Law.”
At the end of his address to the Council, Sinkevicius urged member states “to now fully take your responsibility and to get this law over the finish line”.
During a press conference after the meeting, he also said he remains “optimistic that we will finally seal the deal on this key file and move to implementation”.
A spokesperson explained to Carbon Pulse that the Council of member states “will try to find a way to adopt it in the next few weeks”, although it is unclear how this will be possible as “there doesn’t seem to be much room for maneuver”.
Sinkevicius told journalists he has “been leading this file for two and a half years now and it’s never been an easy journey, but we’ve patiently engaged in a constructive dialogue, searching for the arguments how to bridge different positions, and in many cases we have succeeded, so we will remain committed to that”.
“I’m looking forward to further discussions with certain member states. I truly hope to hear arguments because when I hear arguments, then I can give a reply and look for a solution,” the commissioner added.
By Emanuela Barbiroglio – emanuela@carbon-pulse.com
