In Brussels, European Union institutions and environmental advocates have given a cautious response to a plan aimed at enhancing nature protection and combating climate change within the 27-member bloc. The plan is a critical component of the EU’s European Green Deal, which aims to set the world’s most ambitious climate and biodiversity targets, positioning the bloc as a global leader in climate matters. The plan has encountered significant challenges in the EU’s complex approval process, leading to a diluted version now moving towards final votes.

Late Thursday saw a breakthrough agreement between the European Parliament and EU member states, which should have marked the end of the approval process. Despite this alignment, given the controversy surrounding the plan, the final votes, usually a formality, might still present obstacles.

The plan’s progressive elements were radically reduced during summer negotiations, primarily due to strong opposition from the Christian Democrat EPP, the largest political group in the EU legislature. EPP legislator Christine Schneider remarked, “The final text on this law has little to do with the original proposal.” This opposition underscores the ongoing debate in Europe about prioritizing climate action or economic competitiveness, especially in light of recent droughts, floods, and heatwaves.

The plan requires member states to meet restoration targets for specific habitats and species, covering at least 20% of the region’s land and sea areas by 2030. Negotiations were marred by disputes over exemptions and flexibility clauses that allow member states to bypass rules.

Ioannis Agapakis, a lawyer at the ClientEarth conservation group, criticized the negotiations, stating, “Negotiators have hollowed out the law to the point that it risks being toothless in practice and prone to abuse.” He expressed concern that weakening of provisions sets a dangerous precedent for EU law-making, rather than solidifying the EU’s role in biodiversity conservation.

The EPP and other conservative and far-right groups have argued that the plans could jeopardize food security, exacerbate inflation, and adversely impact farmers.

Despite the agreement on a compromise text, the EPP’s Schneider remained non-committal about the plan’s final parliamentary votes, leaving the adoption of the EU’s strategy uncertain. “The EPP Group will now seriously check the outcome of today’s negotiations,” Schneider said, emphasizing the need to balance nature restoration and climate goals with agriculture and forestry to ensure Europe’s food security.