Eamon Ryan, the Minister for the Environment, has voiced fears that the European Union’s contentious law on nature restoration may not get the support it needs to pass at an Environment Council assembly in Brussels. He warned that failure to enforce this law could significantly impact the implementation of EU policies. The council convened on March 25th for what is usually an administrative process following nods from the European Parliament, respective committees, and EU institutions. However, Belgium and Austria, the EU presidency holder indicated their intention to abstain, while Sweden, Poland, and the Netherlands withdrew their support, leaving the law short of the majority consent required.
If adopted, the EU’s nature recovery regulation would oversee the restoration of 20 per cent of terrestrial and marine habitats by 2030, and continue this expansion until 2050, potentially improving up to 81 per cent of habitats currently in poor state.
Notwithstanding minor resistance from agribusiness, Irish members of the European Parliament are behind the legislation. However, last-minute amendments diluted certain elements of the law. These changes include the deletion of a key clause on agricultural ecosystems restoration, such as drained peatlands; a delay in enforcing the law until further research on its impact on food security is conducted; and the removal of specific objectives regarding marine habitats.
Ryan expressed optimism that the law could still be salvaged. However, he highlighted the challenge arising from certain nations altering their positions. He remarked, “We secured an agreement, only to have nations alter their views. Unless we obtain the necessary majority, these negotiations will be unsuccessful.”
He warned that opposing this law would be disadvantageous to both the environment and the farming industry and would obstruct the initiation of new revenue channels. It would also hinder efforts to protect the environment and encourage a new generation to engage in farming and forestry.
Furthermore, Ryan noted that this potential impasse could hamper climate change mitigation efforts. He stressed that nature-centric solutions are vital to address climate issues. He stated that, “If we fail to address the land-use component of our climate woes, all other efforts would be fruitless.” He concluded that the situation does not look promising but has not yet been resolved.
The Minister expressed his pleasure regarding Ireland’s current step in conducting a land use review because it would lead to a productive plan similar to previous ones. Funds for this initiative would stem from the newly introduced nature and climate fund worth €3.15 billion.
Mr Ryan expressed concern about the consequent political unpredictability and turbulence in relation to our efforts to conserve nature and respond to climate issues, describing it as the exact opposite of what is needed in the present situation.
The State Minister for Nature, Malcolm Noonan, stated that irrespective of the passing of the EU law, Ireland was firmly committed to a plan to rejuvenate nature. He stressed however, that an EU law would prove favourable to the agricultural community.
He expressed his indignation at the Europe-wide delay in implementing the nature restoration law, which he believed is crucial for resilience against climate change, ensuring food safety and maintaining public health. He added that executing the law would yield enormous benefits for rural and urban communities alike, with substantial returns on the investment.
Ecologist Pádraic Fogarty voiced his worries about the hasty derailment of the law. He pointed out the ongoing competition among several politicians, primarily those on the right, aiming to undermine the eco-friendly agenda and labelling nature protection as part of ‘woke ideology’. He mentioned the nature restoration law as one of the targets.
He opined that, presently, this reduces the law to a state of limbo, optimistically adding that it may revive if nations revise their opinions, an outcome he deemed doubtful. He described the situation as an immense setback for not only the European public who are progressively becoming more anxious about the degradation of nature, but also the EU which hoped to establish itself as a global front-runner in handling the crisis of species extinction.
Various farming organisations expressed diverse opinions on the matter, with the ICMSA stating the decision was valid and called for a reassessment of the law, while the IFA suggested a postponement of the law until post-European elections. The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers’ Association, on the other hand, expressed their satisfaction with the recent developments.