Thomas Waitz, co-chair of the European Green Party said: “Vegetation and reforestation help manage water retention, so we can mitigate the floods and droughts coming from climate change. It’s a huge Green victory that the recent pressure from Green Irish environment minister Eamon Ryan (Green Party), and the final push of Green Austrian environment minister Leonore Gewessler (The Greens) led to the approval of the Nature Restoration Law, a cornerstone of the Green Deal, in the Council of EU Environment Ministers.”
Mélanie Vogel, co-chair of the European Green Party added: “The votes in the Council show that the far right in government (Italy, Hungary, Netherlands, Finland) is not in favour of restoring nature, and has no answers to the climate crisis. Greens are needed to continue delivering on climate action and protect people and nature. This victory shows that, even in the face of right-wing and far-right opposition, together with the courage and mobilisation of civil society, Greens and progressives can still win the battles for the future generations.”
Today, Austrian Environment minister Leonore Gewessler (The Greens) voted in favour of the Nature Restoration Lay: “My conscience tells me unequivocally: when the healthy and happy lives of future generations are at stake, courageous decisions are needed. That's why I voted for this law today”, she said.
On 27 February 2024, the European Greens spearheaded a slim majority in the European parliament to pass the Nature Restoration Law - despite fierce opposition of conservative, liberal, and far-right MEPs.
But the Member State leaders in the European Council have stalled on this legislation after calls for a ‘environmental legislation pause’ from politicians belonging to the Liberals and the European People’s Party.
In May, Irish Environment Minister Eamon Ryan (Green Party) secured support to approve the law from ten other ministers, including from Germany, France, Spain, Denmark, Luxembourg, Czechia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Estonia, and Cyprus.
