Nature restoration law goes into effect. Member States now called to deliver

Last Sunday, August 18th, marked the entry into force of the Nature Restoration Law. The regulation sparked heated controversy and was at risk of being withdrawn in many parts of the legislative process in the European Parliament.

Now that the law has come into effect, Member States will decide what specific measures they will implement on their territories to fulfill the obligations and achieve the new targets.

As an overall target to be reached at the EU level, Member States will implement restoration measures in at least 20% of the EU’s land areas and 20% of its sea areas by 2030. By 2050, such measures should be in place for all ecosystems that need restoration. 

The 27 EU governments will be allowed to develop national restoration plans based on their territories’ specificities by 2026. They are called to set a timeline and the means and financial resources needed for their implementation.

The law intervenes to halt biodiversity loss and habitat degradation. A report published by the European Environmental Agency in 2020 showed that despite 26% of land areas and 12% of marine areas being under protection, only 15% of habitats are classified as being in good condition. Almost half of pollinators’ habitats lack suitable conditions.

The regulation envisages a step-by-step approach, restoring at least 20% of EU land and sea habitats in poor condition by 2030, at least 60% by 2040, and at least 90% by 2050.

In addition, Member States are obligated to re-establish habitat types in additional areas to reach at least 30% of their favorable reference area by 2030 (60% by 2040 and 100% by 2050). They must continuously improve the quality and quantity of the habitats and species listed under the Nature Directives. This includes their re-establishment, considering their connectivity, and avoiding significant deterioration.

Among the many detailed dispositions, article 8 outlines targets for urban ecosystems, requiring Member States to expand their total area of urban green space and urban tree canopy cover from 2031 until satisfactory levels are reached. Article 9 requires Member States to identify and remove artificial barriers to improve river connectivity and restore floodplains, contributing to the target of restoring at least 25,000 km of rivers into free-flowing rivers as outlined in the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030.

In Article 10, Member States are mandated to implement restoration measures to enhance pollinator diversity and achieve an increasing trend of pollinator populations from 2030 until satisfactory levels are reached. The European Commission will establish a scientific monitoring method to gather annual data on pollinator diversity and ecosystem populations.

With this law adopted, the EU will align its action to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which sets the protection of 30% of land and sea and the restoration of 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030.

In their plans, national governments must be developed openly and transparently, allowing the public and all relevant stakeholders to participate. The Commission will support national authorities in creating and assessing the plans by making observations that Member States must consider.

Each Member State must finalize its plan, publish it, and submit it to the Commission within six months of receiving any observations. The European Environment Agency will prepare regular technical reports on progress towards the targets. Member States must review their plans by 2032 and 2042 at the latest.

Member States can mobilize the necessary funds from public and private sources, including EU funds. They can draw from a variety of EU funding opportunities, including the common agricultural policy funds, regional funds, the LIFE Programme, Horizon Europe (the EU research fund), and the European Maritime, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Fund.