In an attempt to halt and reverse biodiversity losses, the European Commission has proposed a new regulation, the Nature Restoration Law (NRL). It could become a cornerstone of Europe’s ambitions to restore biodiversity and ecosystem services for decades to come (1) and demonstrate global leadership in addressing ongoing environmental crises. The draft of the law, which is a first globally, has been under political pressure from various sides, and scientists have contributed intensively to the discussion (2). After trilogue negotiations among the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, and the European Commission, the final text of the NRL has been agreed on (see the box). However, it will still be subject to final votes within the Council and Parliament. Here, we assess the potential for the NRL to overcome problems associated with implementation of related European Union (EU) legislation, strategies, and policies and what can be learned for implementation of the NRL.

The NRL acknowledges that existing EU legislation and policies have so far failed to halt biodiversity losses (1) and consequently, without new instruments, cannot meet the targets of international agreements, such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Although some of the NRL’s aims and approaches overlap with other EU directives, strategies, and policies, in particular with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the NRL is distinct in terms of its coverage targeting the majority of European ecosystem types, its strong focus on restoration, and its provision of binding targets and clear timelines. This potential for regulatory power may largely explain the contested nature of its passage into legislation.