Knife-edge support for Nature Restoration Law, ahead of crucial Council meeting on Monday morning

5 months ago 17

Austrian Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler announced that her government will now support the EU’s Nature Restoration Law, on Sunday (16 June), in tomorrow’s, Monday (17 June), Environmental Council meeting, opening the possibility that the contested text may be approved into European law.

With Austria reversing their position from opposing the law, the text should now have the support of countries representing 64.86% of the EU’s population. The threshold for a text to be approved is 65%.

The Council previously agreed on a compromise text with the European Parliament, so the proposal will enter into EU law if just one opposing national government, switches to supporting the text.

Countries such as Italy, Sweden, and Finland have long opposed the text, Hungary only dropped its support in March, just ahead of a final vote on approving the text. Poland and Slovakia subsequently indicated that they would no longer support the proposal.

All eyes are now on Slovakia. However, the Environment Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Tomáš Taraba publicly stated in April that he would not support the Nature Restoration Law. Euractiv understands this has not formally been communicated to the Belgian Presidency of the Council.

The Slovak government could not be reached for comment on Sunday.

Austria’s Environment Minister Gewessler, a Greens politician, always favoured the Nature Restoration Law, but was legally unable to vote supporting the text in Council, as Austria’s nine federal States unanimously opposed it.

However the State of Vienna shifted its position in recent days. Speaking at a press conference in Vienna on Sunday, Gewessler said she had consulted extensively with lawyers, believing that she can now legally support the law in Council.

The meeting of Environmental Ministers begins at 9:3Oam in Luxembourg tomorrow, with the Nature Restoration Law the first item on the agenda.

After ministers discuss the file. The Belgian Presidency of Council may then decide to put the file to a vote, depending on the outcome of the discussion.

*Additional reporting by Nikolaus J. Kurmayer, Zuzana Gabrizova and Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro

[Edited by Rajnish Singh]