March 25th should have been the day that the green flag was raised for the Nature Restoration Law (NRL), a metaphorical starting line for EU Member states to cross, heads down, minds firmly set on the goal ahead.
Indeed, everyone knew that this meeting was only a formality in which the NRL would get the formal approval of Member States following its passing in the EU Parliament in late February. Or, so we thought.
This highly-anticipated and urgent piece of legislation has now been held hostage by a last-minute shift in position from Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. This, coupled with the opposition of Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden and the abstention of Austria, Belgium, Finland and Poland from the vote, means that there are not currently enough countries in favour of the law to bring it over the line.
Along with our BirdLife Europe partners, BirdWatch Ireland has been actively pressing for a strong Nature Restoration Law for several years. If passed, this legislation will pave the way for change that benefits both nature and the human society that is very much interconnected with it. We don’t need to look far to understand how urgently this is needed. The ongoing declines in wild bird populations and the fact that 85 percent of our protected habitats are in poor condition serve as alarm bells here in Ireland.
Together with our BirdLife partners, we are calling on the Belgian presidency to work urgently to break the deadlock and ensure the adoption of the NRL before the summer break.
The #RestoreNature coalition, consisting of BirdLife Europe, ClientEarth, EEB and WWF EU, says: “We condemn all Member States who are not supporting the law – at best, it suggests a deep failure to understand the situation we are in and what it means for the rights of citizens. Allowing Viktor Orbán to sabotage the NRL flies in the face of science, citizens’ concerns, the European Parliament’s support, and corporate backing for the law. It is completely incomprehensible and appalling to see the NRL being sacrificed on the altar of populist anti-green sentiment, devoid of any rational explanation, and undermining the democratic decision-making process.”
Indeed, delaying a decision on the Nature Restoration Law benefits nobody but there’s no doubt that the biggest loser is nature itself. While legislation may be at a standstill, the rapid decline of species and their habitats continues with each passing day.
