ENVIRONMENT MINISTER EAMON Ryan has condemned a last minute road block to the EU Nature Restoration Law, after some member states withdrew their support for the legislation aimed at a massive reversal of habitat loss in Europe.

Speaking at the EU Council meeting of environment ministers in Brussels on Monday, Ryan said it would be a “disgrace” for Europe to go to the polls in June having abandoned legislation already fully negotiated by member states and the European Parliament to protect nature.

Final votes on the legislation by ambassadors last week and ministers today were shelved following backtracking by countries including Hungary and Italy. 

The significant setback for environmental protection in Europe comes after fierce protests by farmers in Brussels, Paris, Madrid and other cities last month calling for better prices, cuts to red tape and tamped down competition from abroad, among other measures aimed at improving their ability to make a living. 

Ireland remains supportive of the proposal, with only two of 13 Irish MEPs – Independent Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan and Sinn Féin’s Chris McManus – voting against it in the final ratification by the European Parliament last month.

The proposal has been hailed by Irish environmentalists as a historic measure that would help save nature in Europe for future generations and empower farmers to lead in this restoration. It is opposed by the farmers’ lobby, the Irish Farmers Association, which now wants it parked until after the European elections in June.

Just such a prospect was raised by the Dutch Climate Minister, Rob Jetten, today. The Netherlands is one of the member states that has distanced itself from the Nature Restoration Law, following a vote against it in the Dutch parliament last week.

Asked whether he believed the proposal was dead, Jetten told reporters: “I think it’s in a very difficult position at the moment and with upcoming European elections [in June] it won’t be easy to get out of this position.”

We can't retreat on the Nature Restoration Law. The natural systems we depend upon are in peril. To retreat now would be disastrous for nature and disastrous for public confidence in our European Institutions.@EU_ENV #NatureRestoration pic.twitter.com/cVH7oJFlg2

— Eamon Ryan (@EamonRyan) March 25, 2024

Ryan told his EU counterparts at Monday’s talks that to allow the law to be dropped now would mean “going into a European elections where we say the European system is not working – we do not protect nature, we do not take climate seriously”.

“That will be an absolute shame,” Ryan said.

He told Belgium, which holds the rotating EU presidency, that its reputation hung in the balance.

“The destruction of nature is inextricably linked to climate change. This is not the time to hit the pause button,” Ryan said.

“Doing so, [which] I’d hate to see, would leave a mark on the Belgian presidency that would be known as one which…gave up on nature, gave up on the protection of nature,” Ryan said.

“How could that be an outcome that we would see going into next European elections? It would be a disgrace.”

In interventions praised by EU environmental campaigning groups, Ryan told EU ministers the bloc’s entire legislative process would be undermined by an abandonment of the Nature Restoration Law.

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Farmers

Ryan said he stood with farmers protesting across Europe “because the truth is our farmers don’t get paid properly”.

“Protecting the nature restoration law is the one of the best ways of getting income to our farmers,” Ryan said.

He said Europe needed green farming that would pay farmers for their “skill in protecting nature”.

“Let’s start with that. Not abandoning nature restoration, as some people seem to be discussing today,” he said.

🇮🇪 Minister @EamonRyan hits the mark on what failing to adopt the Nature Restoration Law means for the democratic decision-making process & our future

We call on @EU2024BE & @vonderleyen to ensure the final adoption of the #RestoreNature law ASAP! pic.twitter.com/5tHAVbWq1q

— WWF EU (@WWFEU) March 25, 2024

Late last week, the Irish Farmers Association said there was a “vacuum of information” in relation to the Nature Restoration Law which persisted and meant it needed to be re-examined after the June European elections. 

In a statement, the IFA said it still had concerns over the impact the law, including on farmland and production. It said it was also concerned by a lack of dedicated funding to support implementation.