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Europe: Consensus approved for nature restoration law

After months of negotiations between the member states of the European Union, the environment ministers have adopted the Nature Restoration Act.

Through Natura 2000, member states had committed themselves to restore exceptional nature, i.e. 200 of the 2,200 ecosystems of high biological interest in Europe. The new commitment made on June 17, 2024 aims to restore ordinary ecosystems. This means that agricultural, forestry, marine and urban areas, which play an important role in human society, are the focus of these restoration measures.

The law covers the protection of biodiversity and the restoration of ecological functions on 20% of land and sea by 2030. This is in addition to the 30% restoration of exceptional ecosystems in poor condition targeted by Natura 2000. A fundamental difference in the strategy lies in the fact that it is viewed on a European Union scale, rather than on a country-by-country basis.

It also covers watercourses, with the aim of achieving at least 25,000 km of “free” watercourses for aquatic species by 2030.

This legislation is needed to halt the collapse of biodiversity, which is closely linked to our lifestyles. As a reminder, 25% of birds have disappeared in Europe over the last 40 years, 60% in agricultural areas. Currently, 25% of the studied species are threatened with extinction in Europe, and this figure is even estimated at 30% in Wallonia.