Member States have submitted their draft national restoration plans to the European Commission (1 Sep)! This is an extremely important milestone in the implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation.
The national blueprints will be a central tool for Member States to deliver the Nature Restoration Regulation's objectives (August 2024).
These plans will support national authorities in organising and scaling up restoration action. This work will facilitate healthier ecosystems, strengthening resilience to drought, heatwaves, floods and wildfires, and helps safeguard the services that nature provides to people and the economy.
The plans contain information on how the country intends to meet each of the restoration targets up to 2030 and should provide a strategic overview of the targets and actions planned to 2040 and 2050.
Over the coming months, the Commission, with support from the European Environment Agency, will assess the drafts and provide observations to Member States. Final national restoration plans are to be completed within one year.
Member States can build on existing relevant policies and measures, helping to avoid duplication and making the process more efficient.
These plans are also not fixed once and for all: the Regulation provides opportunities to review and update them where appropriate, allowing lessons from implementation to be incorporated over time.
Nature restoration is a key part of Europe’s response to the growing impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss. Restoring ecosystems can help cool cities, improve soil health, strengthen forests, protect water resources and reduce risks for communities and businesses.
Healthy ecosystems are also vital for long-term competitiveness and economic resilience.
The Nature Restoration Regulation sets binding targets to restore degraded ecosystems, in particular those with the highest potential to capture and store carbon and to prevent and reduce the impacts of natural disasters.
More information
The EU #NatureRestoration Law | European Commission
Nature Restoration Regulation Implementation | Green Forum
This article was adapted from a European Commission news article. Read the full article here!
