The EU's nature restoration law

Nature is in desperate need of a makeover—and the EU's ambitious restoration law might be the lifeline it needs

Nature across Europe has seen better days. We hear a lot about biodiversity loss and ecosystems struggling under pressure. But what if there was a bold, continent-wide plan to start healing the decades-long damage? Now there is. In 2024, the European Union officially launched its Nature Restoration Law (NRL), a landmark piece of legislation that’s all about giving our lands and seas a much-needed comeback. This isn't just a gentle suggestion; it's a serious commitment to turn the tide on environmental degradation.

At its heart, the EU Nature Restoration Law, formally known as Regulation (EU) 2024/1991, is a game-changer for environmental policy in Europe.

The headline-grabbing target? EU Member States are now collectively on the hook to get restoration measures underway on at least 20% of the EU's land and sea areas by 2030. And the ambition doesn’t stop there. By 2050, the goal is to have all ecosystems that are currently in need of restoration on the path to recovery.

But this isn't just about making Europe look greener. The law has some powerful and much needed core objectives:

Securing our soils and our food: It might not be immediately obvious, but restoring nature helps ensure our food security. Healthy ecosystems provide essential services that agriculture relies on. Our soils have been so intensely farmed that more than 60% of EU farmland suffer from soil degradation, undermining their ability to store water and carbon. This contributes to flooding and drought, creating a feedback loop that exacerbates the climate crisis.
Bringing back biodiversity: The number one goal is to help nature recover its richness and resilience for the long haul. We're talking about creating resilient ecosystems that can thrive on their own.
Fighting the climate crisis (and adapting to it!): Healthy natural areas are incredible allies in our fight against the climate crisis. They soak up carbon, protect us from extreme weather, and this law aims to boost those abilities, even tackling issues like land degradation.
Meeting global promises: This law also helps Europe walk the talk on its international commitments, like those made under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

And when they say "all ecosystems," they really mean it! The law casts a wide net, covering everything from our forests, farmlands, and freshwaters to coastal areas, marine environments, and even urban areas. It’s a truly holistic approach.

A continent-wide to-do list: What's being restored?

The Nature Restoration Law luckily doesn't just set vague goals; it gets pretty specific about the kinds of habitats that need attention, with tailored targets for different environments.

Our lands and freshwaters: Many precious habitats, like those listed in the EU's Habitats Directive, need a lifeline. The plan is to significantly improve areas that aren't in good condition – aiming for at least 30% of these to be actively restored by 2030, with even bigger targets for 2040 and 2050. This also includes improving the homes of specific protected species.
An ocean rescue mission: Our seas and oceans are vital. The law sets similar targets for marine habitats, from vital seagrass meadows to the habitats of iconic species like dolphins, porpoises, and seabirds.
Greening our cities: It’s not all about remote wilderness. The law mandates no net loss of urban green space and tree canopy cover by 2030 compared to 2024. After that, these green areas are expected to grow.
Letting rivers run free: Imagine more rivers flowing naturally! A key target is to identify and remove artificial barriers, aiming to restore at least 25,000 km of rivers to a free-flowing state across the EU by 2030.
Farming in harmony with nature: Agricultural landscapes are also a major focus. Goals include boosting biodiversity by improving conditions for farmland birds, increasing high-diversity landscape features, and crucially, restoring drained peatlands which are vital carbon sinks.
Healthier forests: For Europe's woodlands, the law pushes for an upward trend in several health indicators, such as the amount of standing and lying deadwood (fantastic for wildlife!), better forest connectivity, a greater share of native tree species, and more diverse forest structures.

Making it all happen: Countries, plans, and a little help from above!

This is a massive undertaking, so how will it actually get done? The Nature Restoration Law places clear responsibilities on the EU Member States.

National restoration blueprints: By September 2026, each country needs to draw up a comprehensive National Restoration Plan. These aren't just documents to gather dust; they must detail how the country will meet all the various targets up to 2050. This includes what measures they'll take, where, when, how they'll monitor progress, and how they'll fund it all. Importantly, the public gets to have a say in shaping these plans.
Eyes on the prize (and the progress!): Countries can't just set and forget. They are required to establish robust monitoring systems. This means tracking the condition of habitats, the success of restoration measures, and key indicators like urban green space or farmland bird populations. And this data needs to be publicly available – transparency is key.
Reporting back: Regular progress reports to the European Commission are mandatory. This helps ensure accountability and allows for adjustments if things aren't going to plan. While some early discussions around the law noted a lack of explicit penalties for not achieving targets , the rigorous planning, monitoring, and reporting framework is designed to drive consistent action.

To manage all this, from identifying degraded areas to planning interventions and tracking progress, modern tools are essential. Geospatial data, like open-source maps and satellite imagery from missions such as Sentinel-2, Landsat, MODIS, and VIIRS, will be indispensable. These technologies allow for monitoring vegetation health, water bodies, soil conditions, and how ecosystems are recovering after disturbances, providing a high-tech helping hand to nature's revival.

How rewilding fits the bill

One of the most exciting aspects for many nature enthusiasts is how well the Nature Restoration Law aligns with approaches like rewilding. If you're new to the term, rewilding is essentially about restoring natural processes and letting nature take more of a leading role in its own recovery.

It turns out that this approach – which might involve creating space for natural grazing, allowing forests to regenerate on their own, or restoring natural river dynamics – is often more cost-effective and can be scaled up more easily than very intensive, hands-on management.

Natural forest regeneration? Often cheaper than planting millions of saplings.
Natural predation by returning species? More effective in the long run than culling.
Restoring floodplains to manage water? A smarter, more resilient solution than just building higher dykes.

The NRL’s emphasis on restoring abandoned lands, promoting "proforestation" (letting forests mature to their full ecological potential), and valuing elements like deadwood and connected landscapes are all music to the ears of rewilding advocates. Organizations like Rewilding Europe are already on the case, developing guidelines to help Member States weave rewilding principles into their National Restoration Plans across all sorts of ecosystems.

A greener horizon, at last?

The EU Nature Restoration Law is undoubtedly ambitious. It’s a testament to a growing understanding that our well-being is intrinsically linked to the health of the natural world. It provides a strong policy push and potential funding pathways for those working on the ground. Of course, turning these legal requirements into thriving, resilient ecosystems across an entire continent is a monumental challenge. It will require dedication, innovation, and collaboration from governments, restoration organizations, scientists, and communities alike.

But for the first time on this scale, Europe has a legally binding plan to not just protect what's left, but to actively bring nature back. And that’s a pretty hopeful headline for an otherwise quite bleak nature and climate future.

We're building a platform in this space, aiming to make it the most user-friendly and beautiful tool out there.

Connect with us here if you want to learn more or for early access.

Link to the nature restoration regulation here.

Nature is in desperate need of a makeover—and the EU's ambitious restoration law might be the lifeline it needs

Nature across Europe has seen better days. We hear a lot about biodiversity loss and ecosystems struggling under pressure. But what if there was a bold, continent-wide plan to start healing the decades-long damage? Now there is. In 2024, the European Union officially launched its Nature Restoration Law (NRL), a landmark piece of legislation that’s all about giving our lands and seas a much-needed comeback. This isn't just a gentle suggestion; it's a serious commitment to turn the tide on environmental degradation.

At its heart, the EU Nature Restoration Law, formally known as Regulation (EU) 2024/1991, is a game-changer for environmental policy in Europe.

The headline-grabbing target? EU Member States are now collectively on the hook to get restoration measures underway on at least 20% of the EU's land and sea areas by 2030. And the ambition doesn’t stop there. By 2050, the goal is to have all ecosystems that are currently in need of restoration on the path to recovery.

But this isn't just about making Europe look greener. The law has some powerful and much needed core objectives:

Securing our soils and our food: It might not be immediately obvious, but restoring nature helps ensure our food security. Healthy ecosystems provide essential services that agriculture relies on. Our soils have been so intensely farmed that more than 60% of EU farmland suffer from soil degradation, undermining their ability to store water and carbon. This contributes to flooding and drought, creating a feedback loop that exacerbates the climate crisis.
Bringing back biodiversity: The number one goal is to help nature recover its richness and resilience for the long haul. We're talking about creating resilient ecosystems that can thrive on their own.
Fighting the climate crisis (and adapting to it!): Healthy natural areas are incredible allies in our fight against the climate crisis. They soak up carbon, protect us from extreme weather, and this law aims to boost those abilities, even tackling issues like land degradation.
Meeting global promises: This law also helps Europe walk the talk on its international commitments, like those made under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

And when they say "all ecosystems," they really mean it! The law casts a wide net, covering everything from our forests, farmlands, and freshwaters to coastal areas, marine environments, and even urban areas. It’s a truly holistic approach.

A continent-wide to-do list: What's being restored?

The Nature Restoration Law luckily doesn't just set vague goals; it gets pretty specific about the kinds of habitats that need attention, with tailored targets for different environments.

Our lands and freshwaters: Many precious habitats, like those listed in the EU's Habitats Directive, need a lifeline. The plan is to significantly improve areas that aren't in good condition – aiming for at least 30% of these to be actively restored by 2030, with even bigger targets for 2040 and 2050. This also includes improving the homes of specific protected species.
An ocean rescue mission: Our seas and oceans are vital. The law sets similar targets for marine habitats, from vital seagrass meadows to the habitats of iconic species like dolphins, porpoises, and seabirds.
Greening our cities: It’s not all about remote wilderness. The law mandates no net loss of urban green space and tree canopy cover by 2030 compared to 2024. After that, these green areas are expected to grow.
Letting rivers run free: Imagine more rivers flowing naturally! A key target is to identify and remove artificial barriers, aiming to restore at least 25,000 km of rivers to a free-flowing state across the EU by 2030.
Farming in harmony with nature: Agricultural landscapes are also a major focus. Goals include boosting biodiversity by improving conditions for farmland birds, increasing high-diversity landscape features, and crucially, restoring drained peatlands which are vital carbon sinks.
Healthier forests: For Europe's woodlands, the law pushes for an upward trend in several health indicators, such as the amount of standing and lying deadwood (fantastic for wildlife!), better forest connectivity, a greater share of native tree species, and more diverse forest structures.

Making it all happen: Countries, plans, and a little help from above!

This is a massive undertaking, so how will it actually get done? The Nature Restoration Law places clear responsibilities on the EU Member States.

National restoration blueprints: By September 2026, each country needs to draw up a comprehensive National Restoration Plan. These aren't just documents to gather dust; they must detail how the country will meet all the various targets up to 2050. This includes what measures they'll take, where, when, how they'll monitor progress, and how they'll fund it all. Importantly, the public gets to have a say in shaping these plans.
Eyes on the prize (and the progress!): Countries can't just set and forget. They are required to establish robust monitoring systems. This means tracking the condition of habitats, the success of restoration measures, and key indicators like urban green space or farmland bird populations. And this data needs to be publicly available – transparency is key.
Reporting back: Regular progress reports to the European Commission are mandatory. This helps ensure accountability and allows for adjustments if things aren't going to plan. While some early discussions around the law noted a lack of explicit penalties for not achieving targets , the rigorous planning, monitoring, and reporting framework is designed to drive consistent action.

To manage all this, from identifying degraded areas to planning interventions and tracking progress, modern tools are essential. Geospatial data, like open-source maps and satellite imagery from missions such as Sentinel-2, Landsat, MODIS, and VIIRS, will be indispensable. These technologies allow for monitoring vegetation health, water bodies, soil conditions, and how ecosystems are recovering after disturbances, providing a high-tech helping hand to nature's revival.

How rewilding fits the bill

One of the most exciting aspects for many nature enthusiasts is how well the Nature Restoration Law aligns with approaches like rewilding. If you're new to the term, rewilding is essentially about restoring natural processes and letting nature take more of a leading role in its own recovery.

It turns out that this approach – which might involve creating space for natural grazing, allowing forests to regenerate on their own, or restoring natural river dynamics – is often more cost-effective and can be scaled up more easily than very intensive, hands-on management.

Natural forest regeneration? Often cheaper than planting millions of saplings.
Natural predation by returning species? More effective in the long run than culling.
Restoring floodplains to manage water? A smarter, more resilient solution than just building higher dykes.

The NRL’s emphasis on restoring abandoned lands, promoting "proforestation" (letting forests mature to their full ecological potential), and valuing elements like deadwood and connected landscapes are all music to the ears of rewilding advocates. Organizations like Rewilding Europe are already on the case, developing guidelines to help Member States weave rewilding principles into their National Restoration Plans across all sorts of ecosystems.

A greener horizon, at last?

The EU Nature Restoration Law is undoubtedly ambitious. It’s a testament to a growing understanding that our well-being is intrinsically linked to the health of the natural world. It provides a strong policy push and potential funding pathways for those working on the ground. Of course, turning these legal requirements into thriving, resilient ecosystems across an entire continent is a monumental challenge. It will require dedication, innovation, and collaboration from governments, restoration organizations, scientists, and communities alike.

But for the first time on this scale, Europe has a legally binding plan to not just protect what's left, but to actively bring nature back. And that’s a pretty hopeful headline for an otherwise quite bleak nature and climate future.

We're building a platform in this space, aiming to make it the most user-friendly and beautiful tool out there.

Connect with us here if you want to learn more or for early access.

Link to the nature restoration regulation here.

The EU's nature restoration law