The European Parliament approved legislation on Tuesday aimed at halting the decline of biodiversity by requiring states to repair damaged ecosystems, despite fierce opposition from the right in unison with agricultural organizations.
The MEPs meeting in plenary in Strasbourg validated - with around fifteen votes - the agreement reached in November between the negotiators of the Parliament and the Member States on this key text of the Green Deal.
There still remains formal confirmation from member states before its entry into force.
The text requires the Twenty-Seven to introduce restoration measures by 2030 on 20% of land and marine areas at EU level.
Specific habitats are listed (wetlands, forests, rivers, underwater meadows, etc.): each State must restore by 2030 at least 30% of these habitats in poor condition, with priority to Natura 2000 areas. The result was very uncertain, the European People's Party (EPP, right), the first group in Parliament, having called on its elected representatives on Monday to vote against the text, while the far right tabled rejection amendments.
MEPs from the left and center, in unison with environmental NGOs, expressed their relief.
After
“an aggressive campaign by the EPP”
and
“despite the sabotage attempts of the far right (...) a victory for the living, the farmers, all Europeans”
, reacted the elected environmentalist Marie Toussaint.
Three months before the European elections, conservative elected officials have reaffirmed their distrust of the
“Green Deal”
, a vast set of environmental regulations condemned to criticism in recent agricultural demonstrations.
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Anger of the conservatives
“We still think that this is a poorly written law (...) We are putting in place additional bureaucratic rules for our farmers”
at a time when food production is under pressure, German Manfred insisted on Tuesday Weber, president of the PPE group.
Under pressure from the right, after a bitter battle, the European Parliament had largely emptied the legislative project of its substance by adopting its negotiating mandate in July.
The conservatives had criticized the mention of an objective - although only indicative - of extending "high diversity"
zones
(hedges, ponds, fruit trees, etc.) to 10% of agricultural land at EU level, very early deleted.
Above all, Parliament had eliminated the article targeting agricultural land.
Of course, this was then reintroduced during talks with the States, but in a watered-down form.
According to the final agreement, States will simply have to aim for
“increasing trends”
on indicators (butterflies, carbon in the soil,
“high diversity”
agricultural land ).
And the text provides that at least 30% of drained peatlands used in agriculture be restored by 2030 (including at least a quarter by rehumidifying them), at the risk, according to the right, of weakening yields, despite the possible flexibilities according to States and optional watering for farmers.