On Monday 21 November in Brussels, the EU agriculture ministers expressed concern about the financial resources that will be made available to farmers to implement the regulation on nature restoration.
The proposal includes binding targets to restore at least 20% of the EU’s terrestrial and marine ecosystems by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050 (see EUROPE 12977/17).
“Part of the funds are certainly in the common agricultural policy, but the question of means will soon be asked”, said Marc Fesneau, the French Minister for Agriculture. And the Dutch minister Piet Adema asked: “Will we have sufficient funding? It seems complicated to us”.
“The financial amounts are very high and we are not starting from scratch”, said Luis Planas, the Spanish minister. He asked to clarify the financial aspects of the implementation of the nature restoration regulation.
The European Commissioner for the Environment, Virginijus Sinkevičius, made the ministers aware of their responsibilities: “Your role is crucial, as you are responsible for allocating funding under the Multiannual Financial Framework and making the best use of the resources available under the CAP and the Common Fisheries Policy.” The aim is to allocate 7.5% of the MFF to biodiversity in 2024, and 10% in 2026 and 2027, the Commissioner said.
Spain asked for clarity on the definition of ‘good ecosystem conditions’. Italy sought more information on the methodology of some of the proposed indicators.
While in principle they supported the objectives set out in the Commission’s proposal, the agriculture ministers also expressed their concerns about the increased administrative burden that they felt the regulation would entail (including the establishment of national restoration plans).
Ministers from several countries (including Austria, Slovakia, Spain and France) also mentioned the threats that this text would pose to food sovereignty and questioned whether it would be possible to achieve the objectives set in the allocated time. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)