Five large EU-funded research projects, all operating at the science-policy interface, jointly analysed the text of the draft Nature Restoration Law. The involved projects include the four projects funded under the Green Deal (Horizon2020) Area 7 topic “Restoring biodiversity and ecosystem services”, and represent 168 institutions working at the interface of environmental science, application and policy.

The recommendations in the brief result from a science-policy workshop hold in Brussels on 25th November 2022 that was organised by the Research Executive Agency of the European Commission and DG R&I, and attended by the project coordinators and by representatives of EEA, JRC, DG-ENV, DG-AGRI, DG-MARE, DG-REGIO and DG-CLIMA.

The policy brief was submitted to the rapporteur and shadow rapporteurs of the EU Parliament's Environmental committee in advance of debates on the draft legislation in 2023.

WaterLANDS, along with the rest of the Green Deal Cluster, look forward to further contributing to the ambitions of the EU Biodiversity Strategy through hands-on restoration activities and the development of resources and tools, that can support mainstreaming of large-scale restoration activities in Europe.