The European Parliament on Wednesday gave the first green light to the ecosystem restoration bill, a flagship text of the EU Green Pact proposed by Brussels, which was opposed by right-wing and far-right elected officials. This legislation aims to impose on States binding objectives for the restoration of land and marine areas damaged by pollution or intensive exploitation, in order to preserve biodiversity. MEPs will now have to negotiate the content with the Member States.
“Good news for nature”
It is a failure for the conservatives of the EPP who had denounced a text harmful to agricultural production and economic activity. They had proposed a motion to reject the entire text, which was rejected by a narrow majority. The European Parliament, however, approved on Wednesday a version of the text “largely watered down” compared to the initial proposals of the European Commission, according to environmentalists. This position received 336 votes in favor (300 against, 13 abstentions).
The text’s rapporteur, Spanish MEP César Luena (S&D, left) hailed a “collective victory” and “good news for nature, Member States and the EU itself”. “We are at the rendezvous of our future”, also rejoiced on Twitter MEP Pascal Canfin, chairman of the Environment Committee. “The operation of the far right and of Manfred Weber (EPP President) has failed”.
But a text “emptied of its substance”
However, the ambition of the text has been revised significantly downwards. Parliament’s position is close to that adopted on June 20 by the Member States. “The text is completely emptied of its substance,” said Anne Sander, EPP rapporteur for the text for the Agriculture Committee. But the conservative group believed it had defended a line supported by many voters, particularly from the agricultural world, hostile to environmental regulations which they consider excessive.
“I am of course disappointed, but our commitment was not in vain. I will continue to defend the will of the inhabitants of rural areas”, declared the German conservative elected Peter Liese. Green MEP Caroline Roose acknowledged a “bitter-tasting victory” and lamented “the right-wing obstruction” resulting in the adoption of a “largely watered down” version. The draft legislation aims to halt the decline of biodiversity and better counter climate change by imposing the repair of damaged ecosystems.
70% of soils in poor health
Pollution, urbanization, intensive exploitation… according to Brussels, more than 80% of natural habitats in the EU are in a “bad or mediocre” state of conservation (peatlands, dunes and meadows in particular), and up to 70% of soils are in poor health. The text proposed in mid-2022 by the European Commission would require the Twenty-Seven to introduce restoration measures by 2030 on 20% of land and marine areas at EU level, then by 2050 on the all the areas that require it.
Left and center MEPs denounced a political operation by EPP leader Manfred Weber, citing a strategy of rapprochement with the far right. An electoral posture, according to them, one year before the European election in June 2024. The conservatives, for their part, had mocked a poorly designed and counterproductive text. “The European Parliament has voted in favor of legally binding objectives aimed at restoring degraded natural areas”, however rejoiced Greenpeace, welcoming “the first legislative text for 30 years to protect biodiversity in the EU”.