NATURE RESTORATION LAW: AN EU INITIATIVE TO BRING BACK BIODIVERSITY

Monisha Kumar,

Chennai Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College

The European Union takes a groundbreaking move to combat the alarming decline of biodiversity by enacting the Nature Restoration Law. The law is a testament to the EU's commitment to preserving our planet, underscoring the urgent need for global action in the face of biodiversity loss. This innovative plan mainly focusses to restore at least 20% of the EU’s Land and Sea Areas by 2030, setting up new standards towards Nature Conservation Worldwide. The European Union (EU) has taken a significant step toward nature conservation in an era where biodiversity is under threat. The NRL is a beacon of hope for biodiversity, aiming to reverse the alarming decline of habitats in Europe. It sets legally binding targets and obligations for nature restoration across various ecosystems–from terrestrial to marine, freshwater, and urban ecosystems. The law is a testament to the EU's commitment to preserving our planet for future generations. As we move forward, it is crucial that we continue to prioritize and invest in nature restoration efforts.

A CALL TO ACTION IN ORDER TO BENEFIT OF RESTORATION

The European Commission dated introducing legislation back to June 2022. The European Parliament passed the Law with a majority of 336 votes[1]. February 27, 2024 marked the adoption of the EU's first law intended to restore degraded ecosystems across its 27 member states by the European Parliament. The EU Environmental Council's adoption of the Nature Restoration Law on June 17, 2024, is a significant environmental milestone for Europe[2].

The Nature Restoration Law is a legislation adopted by European Union that aimed at restoring and conserving natural areas and ecosystems, which sets the targets that are legally bounded for nature restoration, specifically to capture and store carbon and to prevent and reduce the impact of natural disasters. There is an alarming decline in biodiversity in Europe with over 80% of the habitats living in a poor condition. In order to recover and restore the natural resources including wetlands, rivers, forests, grasslands, marine ecosystem, and the species that help in increasing the biodiversity and protect the nature like cleaning the water resources and air, pollinating crops and that which protect from the floods and natural disasters for instance, limiting the global warming to a certain temperature that is to 1.5°C[3].

It includes specific measures that include protecting pollinators and grassland butterflies, protecting urban green spaces and planting at least three million additional trees by 2030 at European Union Level[4].

A SPECIFIC TARGET TOWARDS A GREEN LIGHT FOR NATURE

The proposal brings together an overall restoration goal for the long-term recovery of nature in the EU's land and sea areas with specific restoration targets for specific habitats and species. These measures should cover at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030, and ultimately all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050[5].

Restoring land and sea ecosystems, non-deterioration efforts, protecting pollinators, Ecosystem-Specific measures and National Restoration Plans, these are main focus areas that will be given great significance.

The regulation requires the member states to establish and implement measures to restore jointly to meet the EU target, that is to restore at least 20% of EU’s land and sea area by 2030. Member states will first priorities Natura 2000 sites while implementing the restoration measures. The member states deem the habitats to be in poor condition, so they will take measures to restore at least by 30% by 2030, at least by 60% by 2040 and at least by 90% by 2050. Member states will take the Efforts to areas that have reached good condition after restoration and host the terrestrial and marine habitats that are listed according to the regulation. As mentioned in the regulations, we will introduce measures to reverse the decline of pollinator populations as a solution to the declining abundance and diversity of wild insect pollinators in Europe. The Regulation sets out specific measures that member states will aim to enhance eco system by two out of three indicators they are grassland butterflies’ population, stock of organic carbon in cropland mineral soils and share of agricultural land with high-diversity landscape features. National restoration plans need to be submitted by member states. They need to plan and focus on the targets and monitor and report the progress[6].

CONCLUSION

As a matter of fact, The European Commission have proposed a law on the restoration of nature in protecting the environment. This regulation aims not only to preserve but also to restore the nature.

The EU will publish the regulation in its Official Journal, and it will come into force. It will become directly applicable in all member states.

By 2033, the Commission will examine the regulation's implementation and its impact on the agricultural, fisheries, and forestry industries, as well as its wider socio-economic impact[7].

REFERENCES

[1] Bartosz Brzezinski, EU nature restoration law: Huge opportunity to fight biodiversity and climate crises, WWF June, 22 2022, https://www.wwf.eu/?6898416/EU-nature-restoration-law-Huge-opportunity-to-fight-biodiversity-and-climate-crises

[2] Nature Restoration Law, Europe Commission,https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/nature-and-biodiversity/nature-restoration-law_en#timeline

[3] Supra,2

[4] Environment Council, 17 June 2024, European Council, June,17 2024, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/env/2024/06/17/ 

[5]Supra,2

[6]Environment Council, 17 June 2024, European Council, June,17 2024, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/06/17/nature-restoration-law-council-gives-final-green-light/

[7] Bruxelles, Belgio, The EU approved (surprisingly) the law on the restoration of nature, European Food Agency[(6,July, 2024, 17:11)],https://www.efanews.eu/item/41675-the-eu-approved-surprisingly-the-law-on-the-restoration-of-nature.html