EPP and Renew align with far-right extremists against nature restoration

Today, a majority of EPP, Renew, right-wing populists and extremists in the European Parliament's Fisheries Committee rejected the European Commission's proposal for a Directive on Nature Restoration. Previously, the same right-wing political alliance had rejected the proposal in the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee. The rejection is part of an ideological right-wing campaign against the Green Deal and key legislation to protect the climate and conserve natural resources.

Jutta Paulus MEP, Greens/EFA Group Shadow Rapporteur for the Nature Restoration Directive, comments:

"The EPP and Renew are playing party politics at the expense of nature and farmers. The EPP is jeopardising our livelihoods, healthy ecosystems, food security, health and biodiversity through political power struggles. The firewall against the extreme far right has fallen. The sabotage carried out by the EPP, together with right-wing extremists, is also an attack from within against the President of the European Commission. The unholy coalition of EPP, Renew and far right-wing populists and extremists cannot be allowed to further undermine the European Green Deal."

More:

• The Environment Committee is the lead committee for the proposal on nature restoration and the rejections in the consultative Agriculture and Fisheries committees is not binding. 

• The lead environment committee, ENVI, will vote on its position on the Nature Restauration Directive on 15 June, before MEPs are expected to vote on their negotiating position during the plenary week of 10-13 July.