All the MEPs of the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety welcomed as a good starting point, on Thursday 14 January, the draft own-initiative report by César Luena (S&D, Spain) which fully supports, while strengthening, the EU biodiversity strategy up to 2030 and its legally binding objectives.
Faced with the sixth mass extinction of species, everyone agrees that the protection and restoration of at least 30% of land and marine areas is an absolute necessity, with an obligation to achieve results. This requires, in their view, a synergy of all EU policies and a leading role at COP15 in China.
“The strategy seems to us to be a good one. Science has shown us the alarming degradation of biodiversity. We must restore our link with nature. I propose to improve the strategy”, said Mr Luena.
To this end, his report calls for, inter alia: – a legislative proposal on soil protection; – a governance framework for biodiversity comparable to that for climate; – an action plan for zero pollution that takes biodiversity into account; – a European network of green infrastructure; – a legislative proposal for plastic-free oceans; and – a proposal on duty of care in the supply chain.
Mr Luena is also in favour of a right to a healthy environment, which should be included in the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and a green Erasmus programme.
In addition, he calls for financial support to farmers and herders to help them in the efforts required on their part.
The EPP stressed the importance of implementing measures that have the best chance of success, waiting for all impact assessments and ensuring security of supply.
The ECR group believes that the targets need to be refined, in particular that of 25% of farmland under organic management, to avoid having to import food of lower quality than EU food.
The Renew Europe group, for its part, stressed the importance of investments in the environment and nature, transparency of funding, nature-based solutions and multilateralism.
For the ID group, it is essential that farmers be provided with effective alternatives to fertilisers and to rely on local authorities.
In the view of the Greens/EFA, all EU policies and programmes must follow this strategy, but they question whether this will be the case.
The GUE/NGL group insisted that the EU must stop destroying biodiversity with trade agreements.
Saskia Bricmont (Greens/EFA, Belgium), from the INTA Committee, is the rapporteur for the opinion.
The European Commission representative said that she had certainly heard the calls for synergy and policy coherence. She indicated that the first proposal would concern the governance framework.
The deadline for tabling amendments is 22 January. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)