EU Parliament passes nature law after political backlash

BRUSSELS, Jul 12 (Reuters) – The European Parliament voted on Wednesday to pass a hotly contested law to restore degraded natural ecosystems, saving environmental measures that center-right lawmakers had campaigned to scrap.

The legislators of the European Union approved the legal proposal with 336 votes in favor, 300 against and 13 abstentions. Lawmakers and member countries will now negotiate the final text, with the aim of reaching an agreement before the European Parliament elections in 2024.

“We have won. It is a social victory: for scientists, for youth, for many companies and businesses, for the agricultural sector,” César Luena, the law’s main negotiator in parliament, told reporters after the vote. .

The decision came after months of political campaigning that exposed deep divisions within the EU. countries and legislators on the proposal, with government leaders warning that Europe is pushing too many environmental laws as part of its overall green agenda.

The European People’s Party (EPP), the largest group of lawmakers in the EU Parliament, led a campaign to reject the plan on the grounds that it would harm farmers and endanger food security.

“It’s an empty victory,” said Manfred Weber, president of the EPP group. “We can only succeed in the green deal if we come together, obviously this is not the case with this bad legislation.”

The legislation will require countries to introduce measures to restore nature to a fifth of their land and sea by 2030. The aim is to reverse the decline of Europe’s natural habitats, 81% of which are classified as in poor condition. health.

“Restoring nature brings numerous benefits to farmers,” said EU lawmaker Mohammed Chahim. “It’s as simple as this: we can’t grow food on dead soil.”

legislators and scientists have rejected the EPP’s claims, accusing the group of using misinformation to get votes ahead of next year’s European Parliament elections. The group denies it.

“This law is not against anyone,” said Luena. “This is a law in the name of nature, not against any person.”

Luena thanked the scientists and young people who supported the law, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who attended the EU assembly on Wednesday to watch the vote.

Brussels has already passed dozens of CO2 reduction laws to meet the EU’s overall green agenda, including its goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

but recent atmosphere proposals have hit resistance, particularly those that would require changes by farmers to address environmental pollution and collapsing bee and butterfly populations.

EU lawmakers voted earlier this week to weaken another law to reduce pollution from farms.

Reporting by Kate Abnett, Marine Strauss, Bart Meijer and Charlotte Van Campenhout, editing by Mark Potter, Devika Syamnath and Ed Osmond

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