Nature restoration law is published

On 22 June the European Commission published the proposal of a Nature Restoration Law together with the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation. After a three months delay due to industry lobbying, the organic movement welcomes the presentation of these two important pieces of legislation.

The proposal for a Nature Restoration Law includes nature restoration targets and the obligation of Member States to prepare national restoration plans lying out the necessary restoration measures to meet the targets and obligations. The plans will then be submitted to the European Commission and will be assessed.

Key targets for agricultural ecosystems include:

• Reverse the decline of pollinator populations by 2030 and achieve thereafter a continuously increasing trend of pollinator populations until satisfactory levels are achieved;
• Implement restoration measures to enhance biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems;
• Increasing the trend and reach satisfactory level of the following indicators:
  • Grassland butterfly index;
  • Stock of organic carbon in cropland mineral soils;
  • Share of agricultural land with high-diversity landscape features;
• Implement restoration measures reach set targets of the common farmland bird inde;
• Implement restoration measures for organic soils in agricultural use constituting drained peatlands on at least:
  • (a) 30 % of such areas by 2030, of which at least a quarter shall be rewetted;
  • (b) 50 % of such areas by 2040, of which at least half shall be rewetted;
  • (c) 70 % of such areas by 2050, of which at least half shall be rewetted.

Read the European Commission’s factsheet

Organic farming is already contributing to increased biodiversity and enhanced soil organic carbon stocks on farms and can therefore be a key solution to reach the nature restoration targets in agricultural ecosystems.

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