Following months of delay, European Union nations adopted a centrepiece policy on Monday to rehabilitate damaged natural areas. last is the first green law to be passed since last month’s elections for the European Parliament.

One of the largest environmental laws in the EU is the nature restoration regulation, which mandates that by 2030, member states implement plans to restore nature to a fifth of their land and water.

At a conference in Luxembourg, the environment ministers of the EU member states supported the policy, allowing it to become law.

The programme was given barely enough support to succeed after Austria’s environment minister, Leonore Gewessler of the Greens, bucked her conservative coalition allies by committing to support it. This led to the holding of the vote.

“I know I will face opposition in Austria on this, but I am convinced that this is the time to adopt this law,” Gewessler told reporters.

The programme contains specific objectives, such as restoring peat lands so they can absorb CO2 emissions, and attempts to reverse the degradation of Europe’s natural ecosystems, of which 81% are deemed to be in bad health.

The conservative People’s Party of Chancellor Karl Nehammer was incensed by the Austrian minister’s action and is against the legislation. Gewessler’s affirmative vote, according to OVP minister for EU relations Karoline Edtstadler, would be unlawful.

The validity of the EU ministers’ vote will not be impacted by the Austrian government conflict, according to Belgium, which preside over meetings of ministers and holds the rotating presidency of the EU.

The bill was agreed by EU nations and the European Parliament last year, but in the wake of farmer protests over expensive EU regulations, several governments have recently attacked it.

On Monday, votes were cast against the measure by Finland, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden. Belgium didn’t vote.

EU nations had scheduled a vote to ratify the policy in March, but they cancelled it after Hungary abruptly withdrew its support, eliminating the proposal’s slender majority.

Poland said on Monday that the strategy lacked a plan for how environment conservation would be paid. Earlier, countries like the Netherlands had expressed worries that the policy would limit the spread of wind farms and other economic activity.

(Adapted from ThePrint.in)