In her article published in To Vima (11/04/2025) Dimitra Syrou presents the new Nature Restoration Regulation and shows the importance of making use of the knowledge of the collected through recent nature projects taking place for its implementation in Greece.
Τhe year 2024 is a milestone in environmental protection in the EU due to the adoption of the Nature Restoration Regulation (2024/1991/EU), an important institutional measure of comparable weight to the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) that created the Natura 2000 Network. The Regulation provides for the restoration of 20% of degraded ecosystems by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. The Regulation has immediate effect and each member state is required to submit National Restoration Plans by September 2026.
The implementation of the Regulation constitutes a challenge as it requires technical expertise, scientific knowledge, collaboration among various institutions, social acceptance and stable funding. The article makes special reference to the example of Posidonia, and the meadows it forms in the Mediterranean seas. Posidonia meadows are a protected habitat of enormous ecological importance, as they contribute to biodiversity conservation, CO₂ retention and coastal protection. However, this habitat is threatened by human activities and climate change, and as a result it has been significantly degraded and needs restoration under the new Regulation.
Initiatives such as the Interreg Euro-MED ARTEMIS project strengthen restoration through pilot actions, technical support and policy design in the wider Mediterranean region.
The timely preparation of Greece for the implementation of the Regulation is essential and the use of knowledge from projects such as ARTEMIS is crucial for the country to be able to meet the requirements of the new Regulation.
The article was published in Vima on March 18, 2025 and you can read it in full here (in Greek).