EU Environmental Policy

As part of the Horizon 2020 Green Deal Call, four flagship nature restoration projects—MERLIN, REST-COAST, SUPERB, and WaterLANDS—are receiving EU funding. On 10 March 2025, these projects convened a high-level workshop at the European Commission in Brussels to present their evidence-based recommendations and scalable solutions aimed at supporting Member States in developing effective National Restoration Plans (NRPs), as required by the Nature Restoration Regulation.

As part of REWET, IUCN NL conducted an analysis on the analysis by IUCN NL highlights the need for clear regulatory frameworks and strategic alignment of restoration efforts across local, regional, and national levels to achieve the greatest impact. Effective restoration at the EU level requires strong coordination among Member States to upscale wetland recovery and climate resilience.

As part of REWET, IUCN NL conducted an analysis of and developed recommendations for EU environmental policy related to wetland restoration. The policy brief underscores the importance of translating global policies into national legislation and local actions to restore healthy wetlands for the generations to come. Political will, financial resources, local and regional stakeholder involvement and policy coherence at various government levels, and across all sectors, are critical enabling factors for successful wetland restoration.

The EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) is platform that aims to support policymaking by providing the Commission Services and the broader soil user community with the soil knowledge and data flows needed to safeguard soils; supporting EU Research & Innovation on soils; raising societal awareness of the value of soils.

Regulation (EU) 2024/1991, known as Nature Restoration Law, adopted on 24 June 2024 by the European Parliament and the Council, establishes measures for nature restoration across the European Union, amending Regulation (EU) 2022/869. Grounded in Article 192(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, it aims to restore degraded ecosystems, enhance biodiversity, and address environmental challenges, with relevance for the European Economic Area.