EurEau is pleased to learn of today’s vote in the European Parliament to preserve the European Nature Restoration Law. This is a very positive step in protecting our drinking water resources.

The law aims at rehabilitating at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030 and all degraded ecosystems by 2050. It establishes obligations and targets on different fields of action, such as farmlands, pollinators, rivers, forests and urban areas, to gradually reverse the environmental damage caused by climate change and unchecked human activity.

There were two votes today; one to reject the law, which failed to gather enough support, and one on the compromise deal reached between the Parliament and the Council in November.

The regulation is a key part of the European Green Deal and sets targets for boosting the restoration of degraded natural areas by 2030. The text was significantly weakened last year in the Parliament. The result is that now Member States have more flexibility on how to implement the rules and stating that restoration measures should be prioritised in Natura 2000 protected sites.

The text will now be put to a final vote in the Council.