EU lawmakers approved a report on the EU’s 2030 Biodiversity Strategy on Tuesday night (8 June), calling for legally binding measures to protect nature and biodiversity. A heated debate was sparked by amendments calling for forest protection to be weakened, which were eventually rejected. EURACTIV France reports.
The MEPs, who voted 515 in favour and 90 against the report, repeated their call to ensure that at least 30% of the EU’s land and sea be protected by 2030, of which at least one-third – including all remaining primary and old-growth forests in the EU – should be given even stricter protection.
MEPs also said the bloc needs legally binding measures to protect nature and biodiversity, pointing to previous initiatives that had failed to deliver.
The European Union has been urged to implement legally binding targets to protect biodiversity.
515 MEPs voted on Tuesday to adopt a new ambitious biodiversity strategy that includes calls for 30 per cent of the EU’s land and sea to be protected by 2030. 605 MEPs voted in total, with 90 voting against and 86 abstaining.
“We are very satisfied with the outcome,” says Spanish MEP César Luena, who wrote the report. “Besides having secured a majority to endorse the main targets of the Commission’s strategy, we have also gained support for our ambitious legislative proposals, particularly our call for a European Biodiversity Law.”
Last week’s court ruling that saw Shell ordered to reduce its CO2 emissions was enough to put the oil sector on the back foot. And further setbacks are expected when the European Commission tables new climate policy proposals in July.
Ahead of the June plenary, Environment Committee MEPs have adopted amendments that raise the Parliament s ambitions on the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the anticipated EU nature restoration law.
In the next few weeks, EU lawmakers have a chance to show their strong support for nature and sustainable agriculture, argue Sabien Leemans and Jabier Ruiz. But will they?