The newly adopted Nature Restoration Law is the most significant piece of nature legislation in the EU since the adoption of the Habitats Directive in 1992. It holds huge potential to bring some of Europe’s lost nature back, increase our resilience to extreme weather events, and tackle the intertwined biodiversity and climate crises.
Authors: This report was written by Gabrielle Aubert (Institute for European Environmental Policy), with contributions from Evelyn Underwood (IEEP), Sabien Leemans (WWF European Policy Office), Sofie Ruysschaert (BirdLife Europe and Central Asia) and Ioannis Agapakis (ClientEarth). Further advisory input was provided by Kaley Hart and Kenny Meganck (IEEP) and Sergiy Moroz (European Environmental Bureau).
The law was adopted in June 2024, two years after the publication of its proposal by the European Commission. The negotiations on the NRL were marked by profound pushback from conservative groups who attempted to undermine the proposal and to have it withdrawn. The final text reflects the difficult discussions and compromises that have had to be agreed upon to ensure its final adoption
The NRL is nonetheless an ambitious and binding piece of legislation, which aims to put in place restoration measures covering 20% of land areas and 20% of seas by 2030, and for all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. It includes ecosystem-specific targets for terrestrial, coastal and freshwater, marine, urban, agricultural, and forest ecosystems as well as for river connectivity and pollinator populations. The NRL’s , success depends on its effective implementation by Member States, as they are required to prepare and adopt National Restoration Plans (NRPs) detailing how they will achieve the law’s targets and obligations. The NRL mandates the inclusion of all relevant actors, including civil society organisations, in the planning process to ensure they can provide relevant input.
This report provides insights and guidance to help navigate the legal requirements of the law, focusing on the preparation, drafting and finalisation of NRPs. It outlines the main elements that Member States must include in their plans, along with recommendations on how to implement these requirements most efficiently. The detailed explanations provided in the report will be useful for civil society organisations, Member State authorities and all relevant actors involved in the process.
The report also underlines the importance of policy coherence. Nature restoration requires a holistic approach to make significant progress across various EU environmental policies, including climate change mitigation, water and air quality, and more. Implementing the NRL will help achieve these policies’ environmental objectives and speed up their implementation. NRPs will be pivotal in directing resources and capacity to support other policy processes and will strengthen monitoring and reporting systems. However, some policies, mainly the Renewable Energy Directive, the Common Agricultural Policy and the Common Fisheries Policy, might prove to be antagonistic with the objectives of the NRL if hastily implemented or inappropriately interpreted, without carefully considering how these might be developed jointly to harness synergies. The recommendations in this report aim to facilitate efficient and effective implementation, emphasising the importance of early preparation, stakeholder engagement, and policy coherence. By adhering to these guidelines and leveraging the expertise of civil society, Member States can create robust NRPs that not only meet legal requirements but also drive impactful nature restoration efforts across the EU.
