Back to the drawing board, Mr Timmermans

The ECR Group has rejected the flawed new Nature Restoration Law. The text was defeated in the Environment Committee, failing by 44 votes to 44.

Bert-Jan Ruissen, ECR shadow rapporteur in the Agriculture and Fisheries Committees, where the draft presented by European Commission Executive Vice-President for the Green Deal Frans Timmermans had already been voted down, said:

“The Nature Restoration Law is too rigid and simply inadequate to respond to current needs. The green tunnel vision of the text would cause great discontent during implementation.

“The proposal fails to address important economic and social demands. Protecting Europe’s nature is important, but a more balanced proposal is needed. The idea that nature should always have priority, even outside nature reserves, is simply too far-reaching. Other needs must always be taken into account.

“It is indeed rare for such a green-ideological text to be rejected in the parliamentary committee. Now it is up to the plenary to also confirm the rejections of all three committees.

“Today, EU Commissioner Timmermans has once again suffered a major defeat. The proposal has really taken a beating in this legislative process, despite strong political and green lobbyist pressure on MEPs.”

The Environment committee will hence table to plenary a proposal to reject the Commission’s plan. The vote is expected to take place during the July plenary session in Strasbourg, 10-13 July.