EU: Nature Restoration Law published in the Official Journal of the EU

Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2024 on nature restoration and amending Regulation (EU) 2022/869, commonly referred to as the “Nature Restoration Law”, was published in the Official Journal of the EU on 29 July 2024. 

The Regulation lays down rules to contribute to the long-term and sustained recovery of biodiverse and resilient ecosystems across the Member States’ land and sea areas through the restoration of degraded ecosystems. The goal is to restore at least 20% of land and sea areas by 2030, aiming to address all ecosystems requiring restoration by 2050. It establishes legally binding restoration targets and obligations across various ecosystems, including terrestrial, marine, freshwater, and urban areas.

The Nature Restoration Law was formerly approved by the Parliament on 27 February 2024, and, following an initial setback and challenging voting, by the Council of the EU on 17 June 2024 (see our previous blog post). 

It will enter into force on 18 August 2024 and is directly applicable in all Member States. The European Commission will evaluate the application of this Regulation by the end of 2033.

For more information on key biodiversity risks for businesses, see our Biodiversity and nature webpage.