Farmers gather near a tractor as smoke rises during a protest called by the farmers' organizations "Federation Unie de Groupements d'Eleveurs et d'Agriculteurs" (FUGEA), Boerenforum and MAP, in response to the European Agriculture Council, in Brussels, on February 26, 2024. (Photo by John Thys / AFP)
Strasbourg, France: EU lawmakers on Tuesday gave the final green light to a milestone bill aimed at protecting nature in the bloc, overriding conservative attempts to shoot down a law which has angered European farmers.
Despite the parliament's largest group saying it would not vote for the bill in solidarity with farmers, the text passed with the support of 329 lawmakers while 275 voted against.
The bill demands the European Union's 27 member states put in place measures to restore at least 20 percent of the bloc's land and seas by 2030.
"Today is an important day for Europe, as we move from protecting and conserving nature to restoring it," said Cesar Luena, the lawmaker who spearheaded the legislation through parliament.
"The new law will also help us to fulfil many of our international environmental commitments. The regulation will restore degraded ecosystems while respecting the agricultural sector by giving flexibility to member states," he added.
The rules are a central part of the EU's ambitious environmental goals under the Green Deal, a set of laws aimed at helping the bloc meet its climate goals -- but which farmers say threaten their livelihoods.
The conservative European People's Party (EPP) on Monday said it would oppose the law because it would bring more bureaucracy for farmers.
The law will enter into force after formal adoption by member states.
