On 27 June 2023, the European Parliament’s (EP) Environment Committee (ENVI) voted on the remaining amendments to the European Commission (EC) proposal on the Nature Restoration Law. This concluded the voting session, which started on 15^th June with large number of amendments tabled (over 2000).

ENVI MEPs did not support the amendments calling for rejection of the EC proposal (44 votes in favour and 44 against). Unfortunately, the final vote on the Environment Committee’s draft report as modified by the amendments was also not supported (44 votes in favour and 44 against).

This means that the Environment Committee’s report will not be put to a vote in plenary. Instead, the original EC proposal will be voted on and amended. Because of the outcome of the vote (rejection of the report), the ENVI Committee will have to table an amendment asking for the rejection of the EC proposal. According to the EP rules of procedure, this will be the first amendment to be voted in the July plenary. If the amendment is supported, the President of the Parliament shall ask the Commission to withdraw the proposal. If this amendment is rejected, the EP plenary session will then vote on the other amendments tabled ahead of the EP plenary to modify the original EC proposal.

A positive vote in plenary will be key to ensure that the EP and the Council can start negotiating the final text of the law.

FACE has been calling for increased focus on habitat restoration measures in Europe for decades. The FACE Biodiversity Manifesto demonstrates that hunters are already actively engaged in nature restoration, but much more work is needed to help small game and biodiversity in Europe.