On 22 June 2022, the European Commission presented its long-awaited proposal for a law to restore Europe’s degraded ecosystems, habitats and species. The draft law, though a positive development for European environmental policy, including on peatlands, has room for improvement.

This briefing, drafted by WaterLANDS partners Greifswald Mire Centre and Wetlands International Europe with the support of conservationists and scientists across Europe, outlines some of these improvements and calls on decision-makers to amend the proposed targets in line with a pathway that leads to net-zero CO2 emissions from peatlands by 2050.

This video explains the key role that peatlands play for biodiversity, carbon storage and water cycles, as well as how the draft Law can be improved to better protect and restore these valuable ecosystems.