WWF strongly condemns the EPP’s rejection of the Nature Restoration Law

“In its opposition to the Green Deal targets, the EPP has resorted to scaremongering and acting in bad faith,” said Sabien Leemans, Senior Biodiversity Policy Officer at the WWF European Policy Office.

“As the debate over the EU Green Deal proposals continues, the rejection puts the future of European agriculture and the environment in real danger. Droughts, floods and forest fires are regularly gripping Europe and threatening farmers’ livelihoods. Instead of looking for solutions to make farming more resilient to these recurring events, EPP rejects the one solution we have at our disposal – nature restoration.”

The EPP argues that the proposed regulations place an unfair burden on farmers, who are already under pressure to increase food production in the face of geopolitical challenges. However, WWF with other environmental NGOs and the EU’s Green Deal chief, Frans Timmermans, have raised concerns that the EPP’s stance will directly threaten farmers’ ability to produce food due to the loss of biodiversity and the impact of climate change on soil quality and crop yields.

Meanwhile, we are already witnessing the devastating impact of climate change on farming, such as the current dry spell in Spain. The Nature Restoration Law will not only help farmers sustain their livelihoods, but also guarantee long-term food security for the entire union, mitigate the effects of climate change, and build resilience across the system that supports our continent.