A key vote in Strasbourg has kept hopes alive for the livelihoods of millions of workers and the wellbeing of the planet. Voting today on the draft Nature Restoration Law, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) committee voted down, with a rare tied vote, an attempt by conservative, far right and some liberal MEPs to reject the law.
Led primarily by the European People’s Party (EPP of which Fine Gael are a part of) and its chair, German MEP Manfred Weber, conservatives launched a misinformation crusade against the law and new environmental rules in general. The populist arguments they have been using have been widely criticised by experts from across a broad spectrum, including businesses, scientists, civil society organisations and the public. The evidence shows that nature restoration is vital if the EU is to protect the livelihoods of fishers and farmers, create sustainable tourism and coastal economies, preserve food systems, and fight climate change.
There were two Irish MEPs voting in the ENVI committee, Grace O’Sullivan (Green Party) and Mick Wallace (Independents for Change), both of whom supported nature by voting not to reject the law. They, along with 42 other MEP’s took the first steps towards restoring nature in Europe. MEPs then started the arduous process of voting on the over-200 pages of amendments to the law, but scheduling in Strasbourg means that multiple amendments plus the final vote on the law as a whole have been postponed until 27 June in Brussels. So far many compromise amendments that were negotiated were not supported and so the law has been weakened. The majority of votes were tied 44-44, so every vote will count to get a strong Nature Restoration Law over the line.
Grace Carr, Marine Advocacy Officer at the Irish Wildlife Trust, said:
“Even though some of the amendments which may be adopted could weaken the Nature Restoration Law, the fact that the EPP (and other conservative parties) did not succeed in killing the NRL outright is a win. It is positive to see that progressive MEPs voted to protect the law and the fight is still on to restore nature. It is crucial now for these MEPs to speak up and continue voting for a strong NRL when the vote continues at the end of the month.”
ENDS
CONTACT: Grace Carr, Marine Advocacy Officer, grace@iwt.ie
Image ©Failte Ireland Courtesy Christian McLeod