The European Union has definitively approved the Nature Restoration Law, the first regulation that obliges member states to restore ecosystems, not just protect them.

The main objectives of the Nature Restoration Law are to regenerate degraded terrestrial and marine ecosystems, contribute to achieving the European Union’s climate and biodiversity objectives and improve food security.

To achieve these targets, Member States will have to adopt national restoration plans detailing the roadmap to achieve them.

It is estimated that more than 80% of European habitats are in poor condition. With this law, Europe commits to recovering degraded land and sea surfaces by 2050, with two intermediate targets: at least 30% in 2030 and 60% in 2040. The law covers a wide variety of habitats, from forests, grasslands and wetlands to rivers, lakes, coral beds and farmland.

In particular, with a view to improving the biodiversity of agroecosystems, EU countries must make progress on two of the three established indicators: the grassland butterfly index; the proportion of agricultural land with very diverse landscape characteristics, and the organic carbon stocks in mineral soils of cropland. In addition, they should take measures to increase the index of common birds linked to agricultural environments, as they are good indicators of the general state of biodiversity.

On the other hand, EU countries must repair at least 30% of drained peatlands, and remoisten a quarter, considered to be one of the most effective ways to reduce emissions in the agricultural sector. This target should increase to 40% by 2040 and 50% by 2050.

However, the law includes an “emergency brake” that will allow targets for agroecosystems to be suspended in extraordinary circumstances if they greatly reduce the land needed for sufficient food production for EU consumption.

In relation to forest ecosystems, the main objective is to plant 3,000 million more trees. Member States will also have to clear the channels of at least 25,000 km of rivers and ensure that there is no net loss of the total area of urban green spaces and urban tree cover.

In addition, it is indicated that, until 2030, EU countries must prioritise the restoration of Natura 2000 Network areas.

Although it was approved in June 2024, this law was born in 2022 at the proposal of the European Commission to promote the long-term recovery of deteriorated terrestrial and marine ecosystems, achieve the EU’s climate and biodiversity objectives and meet its international commitments, in particular the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. According to the Commission, this new law will bring significant economic benefits, since every euro invested will translate into at least eight euros of profits.