Despite the Chancellor’s veto, the EU environment ministers approve the renaturation law

As the Belgian presidency announced on Monday, the “Nature Restoration Regulation” was adopted by a narrow majority in the EU Council. After the EU Parliament had already voted in favor of the regulation, the renaturation law can now enter into force.

“Victory for nature”
“Today’s decision is a victory for nature,” Gewessler said in his first written response after the vote. “Today we are sending a signal from Luxembourg – we cannot continue like this. Our nature deserves our protection.”

Until recently, it was unclear whether the necessary qualified majority (55 percent of EU countries, representing at least 65 percent of the population) would be achieved. Ultimately, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Finland and Sweden voted against. Belgium abstained from voting.

Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) had previously stated in a letter to the Belgian presidency that Gewessler had no authority to change Austria’s voting behavior – previously an abstention. Gewessler’s consent was therefore unlawful. If she agrees, an action for annulment will be brought before the Court of Justice.

Gewessler: “Gives no authority”
However, the Austrian Environment Minister was not deterred from agreeing. “The authorization mentioned in this letter does not exist in either Austrian law or European law. “I will therefore continue as planned,” she said before the council meeting. She faces a ‘possible’ lawsuit with confidence.

“It’s an internal Austrian controversy”
The Belgian Presidency of the EU Council also saw the matter somewhat differently than Nehammer. “On our side, the vote is taken by the minister present in the room, that’s how it works,” said the responsible Belgian minister Alain Maron (Belgian Greens) on Monday before the meeting in Luxembourg. “For the rest, this is an internal Austrian controversy that has nothing to do with me.” This has been checked and it is legal to vote on the renaturation law on Monday.