News

Five large EU-funded research projects including REST-COAST of which the MEDSEA Foundation is a partner, for the development of a coastal adaptation and coastal restoration, jointly analyzed the text of the draft law on nature restoration "Nature Restoration Law". The projects involved include the four projects funded under the Green Deal (Horizon2020) Area 7 "Restoring biodiversity and ecosystem services" and represent 168 institutions working at the interface between environmental science, enforcement and policy. The recommendations listed in the policy paper are the result of a science policy workshop held in Brussels on 25 November 2022, organized by the European Commission's Research Executive Agency and DG R&I, which was attended by project coordinators and representatives of EEA, JRC, DG-ENV, DG-AGRI, DG-MARE, DG-REGIO and DG-CLIMATE. In addition to REST-COAST, MERLIN, SUPERB, WaterLANDS and PONDERFUL participated to the joint policy brief (see the news). 

The position paper was presented to the rapporteur and the shadow rapporteurs of the European Parliament's Environment Committee who are preparing for the next debates, starting in January 2023, on this very important draft law. The Rest-Coast project team will closely follow the debates from a scientific and evidence perspective. 

WHAT IS THE NATURE RESTORATION LAW: LAW ON THE RESTORATION OF NATURE 

The European Commission has proposed a new law to restore ecosystems for people, the climate and the planet. This is the first global law of its kind at continental level, a key element of the EU biodiversity strategy, which calls for binding targets to restore degraded ecosystems, especially those with the greatest potential to capture and store carbon and to prevent and reduce the impact of natural disasters (including wetlands). 

“Nature in Europe is in alarming decline, - the official website reads - with over 80% of habitats in poor condition. Restoring wetlands, rivers, forests, grasslands, marine ecosystems and the species they host will help increase biodiversity, protect things that nature does for free (ecosystem services), like clean our water and air, pollinate crops and protect us from floods, limit global warming to 1.5°C, strengthen Europe's resilience and strategic autonomy by preventing natural disasters and reducing food security risks". 

Collectively, these nature restoration measures should cover at least 20% of EU land and marine areas by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. Member States would be required to develop nature restoration plans to achieve these goals at the national level; the Commission will evaluate these plans.