On 14 December, over 150 environmental NGOs from across Europe, among which the Green Tank, sent a letter to the European Commission Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans and the Environment Commissioner Viginijus Sinkevičius raising concerns about the overall ambition of the EU Nature Restoration Law, which is in the final stages of preparation by the European Commission.
The Commission’s proposal for the EU nature restoration law was initially expected at the end of 2021, but has been postponed to 23 March 2022.
NGOs are strongly convinced that clear measurable targets for land area, river length and sea area are the key elements to make this legislation as ambitious, adequate and effective as possible. Just as with the Climate Law, a robust and understandable EU headline target, overarching the individual ecosystems (and species) specific targets, is indispensable for mobilising Member States’ action at the required scale. Additionally, it can facilitate the monitoring of individual Member States’ contributions, thus ensuring the timely achievement of the EU-wide targets.
You can read the letter here.