Europe needs a Nature Restoration Law fit for purpose, urge 200 NGOs

CCB • October 3, 2023

3 October 2023 - In recent months, the call for an impactful Nature Restoration Law received unprecedented support from more than one million citizens, businesses, scientists, and multiple other stakeholders [1]. As the three EU institutions engage in the conclusive ‘trilogues’ to finalise the law, it is crucial that the negotiators ensure this long-awaited law is equipped to tackle global climate and biodiversity emergencies. 


The negotiations take place following another summer of devastating extreme weather events of unprecedented intensity across Europe. Floods in Greece, wildfires across the Mediterranean, and heatwaves in southern Europe painfully remind us that Europe desperately needs healthy and resilient ecosystems to prevent such catastrophes and protect its citizens. It is the duty of our leaders to give Europeans a law that will truly protect them from future climate change-related disasters. 


Now, together with 200 NGOs we call upon all EU Member States, Members of the European Parliament and the European Commission to ensure several key elements are included in the final text of the law, among them:


  • All terrestrial and marine habitats are covered by quantified, time-bound and enforceable targets in and outside Natura 2000 areas.
  • Restoration of agricultural ecosystems, complemented by dedicated targets for the restoration of drained peatlands. 
  • Ensure the law can enter into force immediately, without preconditions for the timely and steady implementation of the restoration targets
  • Dedicated and additional funding to finance restoration measures.



Find all the key elements in the full version of the NGO statement here. 


More info: https://www.ccb.se/restorenature-campaign


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NOTE TO EDITORS


[1] The Nature Restoration Law has received support from EU Member States, the wind energy and solar industry, scientists, the progressive farming community, European hunters, financial institutions, European mayors, an increasing number of companies and business associations and European youth. Almost 1,200,000 signatures and messages for an ambitious Nature Restoration Law have been collected through various campaigns, which were launched by the #RestoreNature coalition (incl. Avaaz), WeMove, etc.

Don't reopen the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Implement it.

By CCB • June 15, 2026
The European Commission's evaluation confirms what environmental NGOs across Europe have long argued: the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)'s challenge is not its design, but its implementation.

Joint NGO recommendations on Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2027

By CCB • June 10, 2026
The poor status and decline of many Baltic Sea fish populations have been thoroughly documented over several decades, indicating that the entire ecosystem is in great distress. So far, policy interventions have not reversed, or even halted, the negative trend concerning many of these populations. The European Commission itself recently recognised in its Common Fishery Policy (CFP) evaluation report that progress on stock rebuilding is lacking and the number of stocks “ threatened by collapse due to impaired recruitment has increased during the reporting period ”. Fish populations that once formed the cornerstone of the Baltic Sea fishery, such as the eastern and western Baltic cod and the western Baltic herring, are now doing so poorly that the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) is advising zero catch for these stocks. Yet, even with the targeted fishery being closed for some years now, none of these three stocks are showing sufficient signs of recovery. The condition (such as size and weight-at-age) of many flatfish populations, such as plaice, also raises alarm bells. The salmon spawning migration has fallen short of the target level in the past three years5. As a result, even the healthiest salmon stocks are now unlikely to produce enough smolts corresponding to sustainable levels in the coming years. To address the crisis facing Baltic populations and the broader ecosystem, political will and ambition to improve fisheries management, alongside full implementation of the CFP provisions, are needed. The recent INI report on the Baltic Sea Multi-Annual Plan shows that the European Parliament recognises the importance of ecosystem-based fisheries management as well as the need for consideration of environmental legislation when making decisions on fishing opportunities.6 Fisheries managers must now act swiftly and decisively on the commitment the Commission and Baltic Sea Member States made at last year’s October Agrifish Council to rebuild Baltic Sea stocks. This document presents the joint NGO recommendations regarding Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2027, prioritising long-term ecosystem health and sustainable fisheries management over short-term economic interests. The recommendations are based on the ICES advice, the objectives and requirements of the CFP8 and the Baltic Multiannual Plan (MAP), specifically to apply the precautionary approach and implement an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management, and the objective of achieving Good Environmental Status (GES) under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Last year’s overarching joint Briefing Series on TAC-setting, co-signed by almost 30 organisations across the EU and the UK, including environmental NGOs, recreational fishers, and fishing rights owners, remains valid and provides further context, background and detailed explanations on the cross-cutting issues raised in this document. Read the Joint NGO recommendations on Baltic Sea fishing opportunities for 2027 here .