The EU Nature Restoration Law came into force yesterday
The EU’s first continent-wide legislation for the long-term recovery of nature, the EU Nature Restoration Law, came into force yesterday, following its publication in the EU’s Official Journal 20 days earlier. This Regulation sets legally binding restoration targets for a wide range of ecosystems, aiming to restore 20% of the EU’s degraded ecosystems by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. It is now up to Member States to develop ambitious National Restoration Plans by the end of 2026.
IUCN has produced a briefing on the EU Nature Restoration Law, outlining the Regulation’s main targets and provisions, the next steps towards implementation, and IUCN’s related work that can assist Member States in developing and implementing their National Restoration Plans.
The EU Nature Restoration Law aims to harmonise nature conservation across the EU and actively seeks synergies with other priorities, particularly the EU’s climate commitments. The law builds on current EU environmental policies, such as the Birds and Habitats Directives, and prioritises the restoration of Natura 2000 network areas until 2030. Restoring the natural environment will also improve the EU’s food security, promote ecosystem services, and help meet the Union’s international environmental commitments.
Member States are required to develop comprehensive plans to restore 30% of terrestrial, coastal, freshwater, and marine ecosystems to good condition by 2030 and improve biodiversity indicators in forest and agricultural ecosystems. This includes restoring and partially rewetting 30% of drained agricultural peatlands by 2030. In cities, the document sets targets for urban greening, recognising the urgent need for EU cities to adapt to climate change. The IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions and other IUCN knowledge tools and standards can greatly support EU Member States in this effort.
The EU Nature Restoration Law also provides a legal framework to enhance pollinator biodiversity and populations in Europe, and to develop a standardised monitoring method for pollinators across the EU. In marine areas, EU Member States are encouraged to coordinate their restoration efforts with the fishing activities of neighbouring EU Member States. Furthermore, the EU Nature Restoration Law encourages Member States to contribute to restoring at least 25,000 km of rivers into free-flowing rivers and to plant at least three billion additional trees by 2030, two commitments outlined in the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030.
The Law requires EU Member States to prepare National Restoration Plans by 1 September 2026, which will detail how they plan to meet the Regulation’s targets and obligations. This period will be crucial for EU Member States to plan strategically and identify opportunities for restoration, where relevant tools, best practices, and lessons learned could offer valuable support.
IUCN tools and standards such as the European Red List of Threatened Species, Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions (NbS), Species Threat Abatement and Restoration (STAR) metric, IUCN Urban Toolbox, and IUCN Global Typology, just to name a few, will play a key role in assisting governments and non-state actors in preparing and implementing the National Restoration Plans and scaling up restoration efforts across the EU.