Timmermans expressed satisfaction on Tuesday afternoon that his proposal received support from a majority of EU Environment Ministers. Even countries that say they (still?) do not support the legislation (such as the Netherlands - editor) believe that EU countries must ensure nature improves, or at the very least, does not deteriorate further.
Regarding recent adjustments to the proposal, Timmermans said these are not weakenings because there was never a ‘result obligation’ included from the start. He disagreed with criticism from nature organizations that the proposal has now been diluted so much that little nature improvement can be expected.
He also disagreed with Minister Van der Wal’s response that a ‘juridification of nature policy threatens and that judges may start to interfere everywhere.’ Van der Wal said on Tuesday that in the coming months she wants to try to further reduce that risk in the tripartite consultations.
The nature restoration law is a European regulation. What it establishes is that countries must create a plan for nature restoration. What each country includes in that plan is flexible. The clearer they define boundaries and formulate their goals in their plans, the more concretely they specify their tasks and figures, the less room judges have to ‘interpret’ these matters, according to estimates.
Regarding the blockage threatened by EPP/CDA, Renew/VVD, ECR/SCP, JA21 and FvD in the European Parliament, Timmermans pointed to the 2019 coalition agreement signed by the three centrist parties. Based on that, the EPP has constructively collaborated on other climate laws in recent years, such as Fit for 55 aimed at reducing CO2 greenhouse gas emissions. An EPP member (Peter Liese) was even the rapporteur for proposals concerning the Emissions Trading System (ETS).
Timmermans called on EPP faction leader Manfred Weber to come forward with concrete proposals, compromises or requests "so we can talk about the content. Co-negotiating by definition means you can also have your own priorities included in a final result. If you’re not at the table, then the content will never move in your direction," he said.