Securing success for the Nature Restoration Law

Abstract

In an attempt to halt and reverse biodiversity losses, the European Commission has proposed a new regulation, the Nature Restoration Law (NRL). It could become a cornerstone of Europe’s ambitions to restore biodiversity and ecosystem services for decades to come (1) and demonstrate global leadership in addressing ongoing environmental crises. The draft of the law, which is a first globally, has been under political pressure from various sides, and scientists have contributed intensively to the discussion (2). After trilogue negotiations among the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, and the European Commission, the final text of the NRL has been agreed on (see the box). However, it will still be subject to final votes within the Council and Parliament. Here, we assess the potential for the NRL to overcome problems associated with implementation of related European Union (EU) legislation, strategies, and policies and what can be learned for implementation of the NRL.