{"id":119497,"date":"2025-12-18T00:05:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T23:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/?p=119497"},"modified":"2025-12-17T18:30:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T17:30:11","slug":"nature-restoration-takes-off-mid-term-assessment-of-national-restoration-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/en_gb\/nature-restoration-takes-off-mid-term-assessment-of-national-restoration-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"Nature restoration takes off: mid-term assessment of National Restoration Plans\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new NGO-led evaluation finds that implementation of the Nature Restoration Law (NRL) is underway in most Member States, marking a crucial first step towards repairing Europe\u2019s degraded ecosystems. With National Restoration Plans (NRPs)[1] taking shape across the EU, success now hinges on political leadership, proper resourcing and broad stakeholder backing.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

About the report <\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>analysis<\/span><\/a> covers 23 Member States, examining whether they set the foundations for NRPs that deliver on the ground. It analyses progress across four areas essential for credible NRPs:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Science base (use of best-available knowledge and data)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    1. Ambition (vision and scope)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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      1. Inclusiveness (participation and transparency)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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        1. Empowerment (political buy\u2011in, coordination and resources)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Several frontrunners are paving the way for timely and credible National Restoration Plans, yet the overall progress remains uneven and insufficient to reach the law\u2019s binding targets. The findings come days after the European Environment Agency\u2019s <\/span>8th EAP monitoring<\/span><\/a> confirmed that the EU remains off track on biodiversity and ecosystem objectives, highlighting the NRL as a key tool to reverse the negative trend.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

          Frontrunners show what is possible<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

          Several countries demonstrate what good NRPs preparation can look like. Czechia, Germany, Finland, France, Portugal and Spain show stronger use of scientific evidence in their NRPs. Portugal stands out as the only country treating its NRP as a strategic national plan covering a wide range of ecosystems, rather than a narrow compliance exercise, while Croatia and Germany also show growing ambition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

          France and Germany demonstrate good practice on inclusiveness, while Finland, Ireland, Spain, Sweden and Czechia show progress. These examples prove that inclusive, science-based and ambitious NRPs are within reach, if governments choose to invest in their development.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

          Despite this positive momentum, many countries are still behind and remain at an \u201cinsufficient\u201d or \u201cearly\u201d stage of the NRPs preparation. The biggest weaknesses are lack of political empowerment and capacity; many governments have yet to allocate the staff, funds or authority needed to maximise opportunities offered by this groundbreaking law.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

          Must-do for large-scale restoration<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

          The analysis highlights a set of priority actions that must be taken to translate the Nature Restoration Law into effective and timely action:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n