Brussels, Environmental NGOs from the #RestoreNature coalition have reacted with incredulity to the failure of EU Member States to achieve the necessary qualified majority to adopt the long-awaited Nature Restoration Law (NRL) in today's meeting of EU ambassadors (Coreper). This law, the most significant piece of nature legislation in the EU since the 1990s, now faces an uncertain future, contradicting the EU's stated commitment to biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and environmental sustainability.
An agreement on the NRL had already been reached in November, and approved by Member State ambassadors. The Council vote planned for Monday the 25th of March was to be a mere formality. But despite widespread support from citizens, the European Parliament, scientists, businesses, and 19 Member States, the NRL has been held hostage by last-minute political manoeuvres.
