October 4, 2023
#RestoreNature joint statement
September 2023
For more information, visit www.restorenature.eu
We, the undersigned 200 civil society organisations, call upon all EU Member States, Members of the European Parliament and the European Commission to urgently adopt a strong Nature Restoration Law that is fit for purpose to tackle the twin biodiversity and climate crises.
We are witnessing a mass biodiversity extinction and climate breakdown, threatening the very basis of our life as we know it. The science is very clear on this. Efforts so far have been largely inadequate to address these crises and to restore our relationship with nature. Unsurprisingly, increasingly frequent droughts, floods and forest fires, as we saw again this summer, are making the effects of these crises ever more visible across Europe. It’s clear that we need effective nature restoration measures on a large scale.
The EU Nature Restoration Regulation is the unique opportunity of this decade to change the pathway from continuous deterioration to regeneration, where we steer towards a safe and resilient future of living in harmony with nature. Restoring nature means restoring our greatest ally in tackling climate change, restoring our own health and wellbeing, and restoring our livelihoods and economies. Nature restoration is one of the best investments our society can make. Yet, time is running out.
In the past months, we saw unprecedented opposition to the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, leading to unacceptable weakening and even almost losing the legal text. We therefore strongly call upon national governments, Members of the European Parliament and the European Commission to get back on the right track by safeguarding the following key elements in the EU
Nature Restoration Regulation:
● Ensure that all terrestrial and marine habitats are covered by quantified, time-bound and enforceable targets in and outside
Natura 2000 areas.
● Ensure non-deterioration of ecosystems to safeguard investments and long-term benefits, fully in line with Europe`s commitments for climate and biodiversity.
● Include restoration of agricultural ecosystems, complemented by dedicated targets for the restoration of drained peatlands.
Restoring agricultural ecosystems is crucial for resilience of food systems and the agricultural sector. Peatland restoration plays a key role in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
● Include strong indicators for the restoration of forest ecosystems, scientifically valid for all forest types.
● Ensure implementable marine targets with clear safeguards, so that the Common Fisheries Policy does not block marine restoration.
● Ensure dedicated and additional funding to finance restoration measures.
● Ensure clear public participation and access to justice provisions
● Ensure the Law can enter into force immediately, without preconditions for the timely and steady implementation of the
restoration targets.
We cannot afford anymore to delay actions, to water down ambition or to limit the scope of the law. It would only make it more costly and time-consuming to deal with the consequences of our inaction. It would put our future and that of all other beings at stake. We need to make it work now, we need to #RestoreNature.
For more information, visit restorenature.eu
Signatories:
A Rocha International
AirClim
AKTI PROJECT & RESEARCH CENTRE
Alpe Adria Green International
Amigos de la Tierra
Aplinkosaugos koalicija (Environmental Coalition
of Lithuania)
Arnika
Association for nature and environment
conservation and sustainable development
promotion ARGONAUTA
Association for Nature, Environment and
Sustainable Development Sunce
Association Hyla
Austrian Youth Biodiversity Network – GYBN
Austria
BIOM Association
BirdLife – SEO
BirdLife Austria
BirdLife Bulgaria – Bulgarian Society for the
Protection of Birds
BirdLife Cyprus
BirdLife DOF
Birdlife Estonia
BirdLife Europe and Central Asia
BirdLife Finland
BirdLife Greece – Hellenic Ornithological Society
BirdLife Hungary – MME
BirdLife Italy – Lipu
BirdLife Malta
BirdLife Slovenia DOPPS
BirdLife Sweden
Birdwatch Ireland
BLOOM
Bodensee-Stiftung – Internationale Stiftung für
Natur und Kultur
Bond Beter Leefmilieu
BOS+
Brod Ecological Society-BED
Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust
Canopea
CEE Bankwatch Network
CEEweb for Biodiversity
Center for Environmental Policy (AAPC)
Center for Protection and Research of Birds
Center for Research and Information for the
Environment Eko-svest
Centrum Ochrony Mokradeł / Wetlands
Conservation Centre
CIRF – Italian Centre for River Restoration
Client Earth
Climate Action Network Europe
Climate Catalyst
Coalition Clean Baltic
Coastwatch
Comitato AVB
Comité Schone Lucht
Conservation International Europe
Cork Environmental Forum
Cork Nature Network
County administre board of Skane
Croatian Society for Birds and Nature Protection
Czech Society for Ornithology
Danish Society for Nature Conservation
Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V. (German Environmental
Action)
Deutscher Naturschutzring (DNR)
Deutsche Stiftung Meeresschutz
Društvo Ekologi brez meja
Društvo Proteus, gibanje za naravo in okolje, Bela
krajina
Eco-TIRAS International Association of River
Keepers
ECOLISE – European network for community-led
initiatives on climate change and sustainability
Ecologistas en Acción
ECOS – Environmental Coalition on Standards
Ekoskog
El Fanal – Col·lectiu Cultural i Ecologista del
Moianès
Environmental Center for Administration and
Technology
Environmental Pillar
Estonian Fund for Nature ELF
EuroNatur
EUROPARC Federation
European Anglers Alliance (EAA)
European Cave Protection Commission by the
Fédération Spéléologique Européenne
European Environmental Bureau
European Living Lakes Association
European Young Rewilders
Eurosite
Fair Seas
Fältbiologerna
Fédération des Parcs naturels régionaux de
France
Federazione Nazionale Pro Natura
Forests of the World (Verdens Skove)
Foundation for Peatland Restoration and
Conservation
France Nature Environnement (FNE)
Free Rivers Italia
Friends of Fertő lake Association
Friends of the Earth Czech Republic – Hnutí DUHA
Friends of the Earth Europe
Friends of the Earth Germany – BUND e.V.
Fundación Española de Renaturalización
(Rewilding Spain)
Fundación Global Nature
Fundacion Nueva Cultura del Agua
Gamtos apsaugos asociacija “Baltijos vilkas”
Generation Climate Europe (GCE)
Generation Earth (Youth Network of WWF AT)
GEOTA-Grupo de Estudos de Ordenamento do
Território e Ambiente
Global Nature Fund
Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) Europe
Great Lakes and Wetland Federation (Nagy Tavak
és Vizes Élőhelyek Szövetsége)
Green Impact
Greenpeace
GRÜNE LIGA e.V.
Hnutí Brontosaurus
IFAW
IFOAM Organics Europe
Irish Wildlife Trust
Italian Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN Italy)
Jane Goodall Institute Belgium
KORIDOR D8
Latvian Fund for Nature
Latvian Ornithological Society
Leefmilieu
Legambiente
Liga para a Protecção da Natureza
Lithuanian Arboricultural Center
Lithuanian entomological society
Lithuanian Ornithological Society
Living Rivers Foundation
Lutra, Institute for Conservation of Natural
Heritage
Mammal Conservation Europe
Marine Explorers Society – 20000 Leagues
MEDASSET
MedINA
MedWet
Michael Succow Foundation
Milvus Group
MIO-ECSDE
Morigenos
Mouvement Ecologique
NABU
Natagora
natur&ëmwelt
Naturalists Club Poland (Klub Przyrodników)
Naturefriends International
Naturskyddsföreningen (Swedish Society for
Nature Conservation)
Natuurmonumenten
Natuurpunt
Natuurpunt vzw
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)
Oceana Europe
OceanCare
One Voice
Österreichisches Kuratorium für Fischerei und
Gewässerschutz
Partnership for Policy Integrity
Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe)
PIC – Legal Center for the Protection of Human
Rights and the Environment
Polish Society for Bird Protection
Rewilding Apennines ETS
Rewilding Europe
Rewilding France
Rewilding Oder Delta
Rewilding Portugal
Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation
Rewilding Romania
Rewilding Spain
Rewilding Sweden
Rewilding Velebit Foundation
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
RUPI
SABUKO – Society for Nature Conservation
Salviamo l’Orso
Sciaena
Seas At Risk
Sengirės fondas | The Ancient Woods Foundation
Slow Food Italia
SNPN
Societatea Ornitologică Română
Society for Ecological Restoration Europe
Society for the Protection of Prespa
Society for Sustainable Living
SPEA (Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds)
SPECO – Sociedade Portuguesa de Ecologia
Svoboda zvířat (Freedom for Animals)
Swedish Anglers Association (Sportfiskarna)
Terre d’Abeilles
The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation
The Green Tank
The Habitat Foundation
The Nature Conservancy
The North Sea Foundation
The Polish Society for Protection of Birds,
OTOP/BirdLife Poland
Udruga za održivi razvoj Hrvatske
Udruga za promicanje ekološke proizvodnje hrane,
zaštite okoliša i održivog razvoja „Eko-Zadar“
Umanotera, The Slovenian Foundation for
Sustainable Development
Umweltdachverband
Vogelbescherming Nederland
Vogelbescherming Vlaanderen
Waddenvereniging
WeMove Europe
Wetlands International Europe
Wild Europe
Wild Europe Foundation
Wildlife Conservation Society EU office (WCS EU)
WWF European Policy Office, on behalf of the EU
WWF Network
Xarxa per a la Conservació de la Natura (XCN)
Youth and Environment Europe
Youth Engaged in Wetlands
Zeleni Osijek
ZERO – Associação Sistema Terrestre Sustentável
Zoological Society of London (ZSL
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