Just a week after Environment Ministers from across Europe gave the Nature Restoration Law their seal of approval, the European Parliament Environment Committee has failed to reach agreement on it.
The roll call from the vote shows the European People's Party substituted in eight members who don't normally sit on the committee to vote against it. Our source in Europe said they were MEPs Bogovic, Dorfmann, Dupont, Kalinowski, Schiedtbauer, Skyttedal, Tome and Lins.
A total of 44 MEPs voted for it and 44 against it. Two Irish MEPs, Grace O'Sullivan and Mick Wallace, sit on the committee and both voted in favour of the law.
Read more: Deal on 'general approach' to Nature Restoration Law at EU Environment Council
The proposed Nature Restoration Law aims to restore ecosystems, habitats and species across the EU lands and seas and asks all member states to set restoration measures that cover at least 20% of those areas by 2030 with a view to restoring all ecosystems that need it by 2050.
A fierce opposition was mounted against the legislation, which sets binding targets to stop nature collapse, by Manfred Weber’s Conservative European People’s Party.
Ireland as a country came out in support of the law, but the Irish Farmers Association have been fighting it.
The European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety today failed to reach agreement with 44 voting for and 44 against it on June 27.
Now the entire European Parliament will vote on the Nature Restoration Law in July.
Irish MEP Grace O’Sullivan, who holds one of the two Irish seats on the Committee, voted in support saying it was “one of our last chances to show if the EU is a leader or a loser in halting the precipitous decline of biodiversity in Ireland and beyond”.
The legislation includes the restoration of all damaged by marine habitats - over 80% of which are in unfavourable status in Ireland - restrictions on shrinking urban green space, voluntary rewetting of drained peatlands and restoration of 25,000km of blocked rivers to free-flowing status.
She added: “In a period where we are losing healthy habitats and animal populations at a rate of knots, it is vital that we get a more ambitious outcome in the plenary vote in July. We know that biodiversity collapse immediately threatens nature and agriculture, it is unacceptable for political leaders to choose to do nothing.”
Green Party MEP for Dublin, Ciarán Cuffe said: “This is a real setback for nature, the climate, and the European Green Deal. However, the proposal remains to be voted on later this month at the Plenary session of the Parliament in Strasbourg, and I am hoping that more progressive voices will succeed.
“Strong ecosystems can guarantee long-term food security and protection against droughts and other natural disasters for everyone living in Europe. The Plenary vote is the one that counts.”
Fine Gael, don’t have any seats on the EP Environment Committee, but will get the chance to vote when it goes before the full Parliament.
They are however, part of the EPP, which is trying to block the law.
