While the farm demonstrations are in Brussels, tomorrow the European Parliament in Strasbourg will have to decide on its final position on the Nature Restoration Law. The compromise proposal resulting from the trilogues ignored the Parliament’s initial position, returning many unrealistic and unbudgeted provisions to the centre of the regulation. No MEP voting on this text tomorrow will be able to say that they were unaware of the impact of such a proposal on the agricultural sector!
Although the European Parliament’s initial position on the subject was nuanced on the agricultural aspect, the rapporteur for the EP (César Luena, S&D) completely abandoned his negotiating mandate in the trilogue, returning to a proposal that was completely unrealistic for farmers.
With the issues of non-deterioration, restoration only in Natura2000 areas, and the emergency break being proposed again, we see this as an opportunity to return the proposal to a more concrete and legitimate way forward for restoration. This proposal to amend and bring discussions back to the Council and the Commission can only be something which can be supported when it is better to do restoration right, with the correct provisions and correct safety nets.
Alongside these issues proposed to amend, it must also be noted that currently the provisional agreement for the Nature Restoration Law does not adequately address the funding needs that restoration and maintenance require in the short-, medium-, and long-term. With the overall provision cost per annum to amount to well over 7 billion euro per year (which is more than half of the allocated 14 billion annual biodiversity spending from the MFF), the EU expects to depend predominantly on the CAP’s National Strategic Plans for financial support through the eco-schemes, and from both pillars of the CAP. This is combined with the fact that the CAP is clearly already overstretched. We must be clear that this law if enforced does not have the relevant financial support to make it viable and successful with or without an assessment!
No MEP can now say that the text proposed for ratification will not have a major impact on our production, our competitiveness, the EU’s balance of trade, or consumer prices for millions of Europeans. We ask for support for our final chance to ensure this law is not unrealistic, but successful!
Fonte: Copa Cogeca
