Copa and Cogeca acknowledge the European Commission’s release this week of the Roadmap towards Nature Credits, which aims to channel private finance into biodiversity and ecological restoration by recognising the efforts of land managers. While rewarding environmental services is a sound principle the roadmap lacks the clarity and foundational elements needed to ensure such a system works in practice.
As the roadmap remains focused on broad and generic principles, Copa and Cogeca caution against moving forward without robust analysis and well-established groundwork. Experiences show that good intentions can sometimes seriously derail the very objectives they seek to achieve.
For Copa and Cogeca, the development of a nature credit system must address key issues — starting with the methodology for defining and measuring ‘Nature credits’, which remains technically and scientifically complex. Just as crucial is establishing the necessary preconditions to ensure the system delivers for farmers, with long-term viability, accessibility and no additional administrative burden.
Any future system must work for all producers, across all EU regions, regardless of farm size, structure, or production model — be it small or large, mixed or specialised, intensive or extensive. The framework must reflect the diversity of Europe’s farming and forestry sectors and avoid becoming accessible only to those equipped to manage highly complex mechanisms.
Considering safeguards in this process would be equally essential to prevent land grabbing and protect against market distortions that could occur if productive land is diverted solely for nature credit generation by external actors. Without these protections, the entire approach risks becoming counterproductive.
To succeed, the system must be built with producers, not just for them. Copa and Cogeca therefore welcome the announcement of a new expert group and look forward to actively engaging with the Commission and other stakeholders. We remain committed to shaping a system that delivers for nature while safeguarding the economic sustainability of the people who manage Europe’s land every day.
Fonte: Copa and Cogeca
