Since Sunday, the EU Renaturation Regulation has officially come into force. In Austria, it caused heated political discussions and a tense atmosphere between the coalition parties ÖVP and the Greens. Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler approved the law in Brussels, against the wishes of her coalition partner.
The ÖVP calls Gewessler a lawbreaker and calls for her resignation, but environmental organizations and green supporters applaud. The WWF now calls on “federal and state governments to join forces” so that Austria can submit a good renaturation plan within two years. Sufficient funding for projects, efficient structures and better data are particularly important. “Austria can benefit enormously from exemplary implementation,” says WWF biodiversity spokesperson Joschka Brangs.
Salt varnishes should be a priority
A constructive approach is important. “The federal and state governments must see the new regulations for what they are: a unique opportunity to improve the protection and restoration of nature everywhere.” According to the WWF, Austria should focus on restoring intact rivers, heathlands and forests. Particularly endangered habitats, such as the salt flats in eastern Austria, whose survival is threatened, should receive further attention. At the same time, the network of protected Natura 2000 areas should be improved and expanded.
For an efficient implementation of the regulation, WWF proposes the establishment of a central “biodiversity coordination point” that will serve as an interface between all the subjects, authorities and interest groups involved. At the same time, there should be a uniform data base that is available to everyone involved in the process. “This would allow for a practical and unbureaucratic implementation, as it would avoid double and triple structures at federal and state level,” says WWF expert Brangs.
Additional EU funds available
All Member States must submit a recovery plan by 1 September 2026, which represents their contribution to the objectives of the Nature Restoration Act. “With a technically sound plan, Austria can gain access to additional funding from the EU budget and thus support projects in rural areas in particular. This creates jobs there and at the same time natural protection measures that need to be strengthened anyway due to the increasingly severe effects of storms,” Brangs explains.
117 million hectares eligible for renaturation measures
According to the ‘Nature Restoration Act’, measures must be implemented on at least 20 percent of the area in the whole of Europe by 2030. The countries can decide for themselves which projects to implement based on specific EU regulations. Researchers from Spain and Portugal have examined the land areas of the continent and identified an area of around 117 million hectares that would be suitable for extensive renaturation measures in Europe. This corresponds to almost a quarter of the entire continent, although Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey were not included in the analysis.
Most areas in the north
Areas that have been designated as suitable include areas that were previously built-up but are now abandoned, or where hardly any people are active. “About 70 percent of the areas are in Northern Europe or Scandinavia,” one of the researchers explains. “The population there is very irregularly distributed, and there are large areas of forest, but very few people.”
Active or passive renaturation
In a next step, the researchers wanted to clarify what type of renaturation measures could be implemented in the respective areas. They focused primarily on the animal species native to the area. “The goal would of course be that humans do not have to intervene in the ecosystem and that nature regulates itself, so to speak,” explains an ecologist. This is called passive renaturation, in which humans actively intervene in the ecosystem.
No long-term food supply plan
Criticism of the renaturation regulation comes from the ÖVP. The regulation could lead to fewer animals being kept in Austria and therefore more meat having to be imported, says EU MP Alexander Bernhuber. Moreover, there is no guarantee of financing. “So far, the European Commission has only referred to the existing European and national funds. It should not be the case that money that is due to our farmers is lost in the bureaucratic jungle or is invested in nonsense projects.”
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
