Europe needs a Nature Restoration Law fit for purpose, urge 200 NGOs

03 October 2023
by WWF -- last modified 03 October 2023

In recent months, the call for an impactful Nature Restoration Law received unprecedented support from more than one million citizens, businesses, scientists, and multiple other stakeholders. As the three EU institutions engage in the conclusive 'trilogues' to finalise the law, it is crucial that the negotiators ensure this long-awaited law is equipped to tackle global climate and biodiversity emergencies.

The negotiations take place following another summer of devastating extreme weather events of unprecedented intensity across Europe. Floods in Greece, wildfires across the Mediterranean, and heatwaves in southern Europe painfully remind us that Europe desperately needs healthy and resilient ecosystems to prevent such catastrophes and protect its citizens. It is the duty of our leaders to give Europeans a law that will truly protect them from future climate change-related disasters.

Now, 200 NGOs call upon all EU Member States, Members of the European Parliament and the European Commission to ensure several key elements are included in the final text of the law, among them:

• All terrestrial and marine habitats are covered by quantified, time-bound and enforceable targets in and outside Natura 2000 areas.
• Restoration of agricultural ecosystems, complemented by dedicated targets for the restoration of drained peatlands.
• Ensure the law can enter into force immediately, without preconditions for the timely and steady implementation of the restoration targets
• Dedicated and additional funding to finance restoration measures.

Find all the key elements in the full version of the NGO statement

Click here to read the full statement

Sabien Leemans, Senior Biodiversity Policy Officer at WWF European Policy Office: "This summer has once again left many Europeans desperate and extremely vulnerable to the immediate effects of climate change. What more signs do we need to finally act? Large-scale nature restoration will save lives. It will protect us all from the worst consequences of floods, droughts and wildfires. By saving our ecosystems, we are saving ourselves."

WWF is an independent conservation organisation, with over 30 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

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