12 February 2025
roadmap
austria
The EU Nature Restoration Law: ready for take-off?
After "unpacking" the EU Nature Restoration Law ("NRL") in last year's roadmap, the NRL entered into force on 18 August 2024 and is now directly applicable in all EU Member States. However, this was only achieved after a nail-biting procedure in the Council of the EU, where the necessary majorities were only secured when the Austrian Minister deviated from the national coalition agreement. But what does the entry into force of the NRL mean for stakeholders?
Even though the NRL is a directly applicable regulation, most of its restoration obligations require further specification in the so-called "restoration plans". Those plans must be drawn up by the Member States and should generally specify what areas need to be restored. To fulfil this obligation, the Member States not only require comprehensive data on all relevant habitats and species but also an alignment with other plans under EU and national law. Finally, the question of financing the restoration measures should also be considered in detail.
The draft restoration plans must be submitted to the European Commission at the latest by 1 September 2026. Prior to submission, the drafting process must involve public participation in compliance with the requirements of the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive. Due to the tight deadline, stakeholders are advised to promptly prepare input on several focal points, including:
- on available and compiled own data on habitats and species, eg, such affected by own businesses;
- on the alignment of other EU and National planning instruments, such as Climate and Energy-, Grid Infrastructure or Water Management plans as well as
- considerations and input on possible win-win situations, in which restoration measures may – for example – be connected to revitalization/(renewables) expansion projects.
Looking ahead, the successful implementation of the NRL will depend on Member States' ability to balance ambitious restoration goals with practical considerations, ensuring effective stakeholder collaboration, sufficient financing and alignment with other planning frameworks.
authors: Christop Cudlik, Julia Kandler, Sarah Wolf, Isabel Bruckmoser
Christoph
Cudlik
Partner
austria vienna