EESC has written to Belgian Environment Minister ahead of Council meeting reiterating its endorsement of the Law
The Environmental Pillar, Ireland’s environmental NGO advocacy coalition, has welcomed the renewed support from the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) for the Nature Restoration Law to be passed at the meeting of Environment Ministers on 17th June.
Writing to Belgian Environment Minister Alain Maron in his role as chair of the EU Environment Council ahead of its upcoming meeting on 17th June, Peter Schmidt, President of the Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Section of the EESC, has reiterated its endorsement of the Nature Restoration Law (1).
Fintan Kelly, Agriculture and Land Use Policy and Advocacy Officer with the Environmental Pillar, said: “The intervention by the European Economic and Social Committee once again underlines the strong support for the Nature Restoration Law from European civil society. The EESC represents businesses, trade unions, farmers, NGOs, consumers and its collective members represent over 90 million citizens in the EU, it indicates the huge level of support in civil society for nature restoration. The Committee’s letter explicitly reiterates EESC’s endorsement of the Nature Restoration Law and also underlines EESC’s overall support for the objectives of the NRL and its connection to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2). It is essential for the Belgian presidency and all Member States work to progress the law in the coming weeks. If just one of the blocking Member States supports the democratically negotiated law then it will be adopted.”
Environmental Pillar Steering Committee Member and Head of Advocacy at An Taisce, Dr Elaine McGoff said: “With nature under threat and more than 80% of protected habitats in poor condition across Europe, urgent action is required to halt biodiversity loss. The Nature Restoration Law is the most important piece of biodiversity legislation to come out of Europe in thirty years. The intervention by the EESC underlines the strong support from all sectors within Europe for the Nature Restoration Law. The EU Member States who are not supporting the Nature Restoration Law are doing so against the wishes of their own citizens. We know this because recent polling shows that 75% of citizens in the Netherlands, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Poland, and Sweden, support the adoption of the law (3).”
Oonagh Duggan, Head of Advocacy at BirdWatch Ireland and Environmental Pillar Steering Committee Member said: “Farming, nature and the environment are facing intertwined crises. The Nature Restoration Law provides us all with the opportunity to work together for a fairer, more sustainable future. In its letter, the EESC highlights that the farming community needs a fairer food supply chain as well as solutions to accompany the transition and support in the move towards climate neutrality objectives. The Environmental Pillar has been consistent in its calls for new funding in addition to CAP to empower farmers to restore nature, including through the implementation of an EU Nature Restoration Law.”
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