Austria’s ÖVP party said it would not sue to overturn the EU’s new nature restoration law due to a lack of support from the Greens, according to Euractiv.
In June, EU countries adopted the bloc’s new law on nature restoration after Austria’s Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler changed her mind at the last minute. The ÖVP announced that it would file a lawsuit to overturn the law at the EU’s highest court in Luxembourg. The minister in charge Karoline Edtstadler stated:
Austria will not bring an action for annulment against the EU renaturation law, as the necessary agreement with the ministries concerned could not be reached.
Edtstadler referred to Austrian law, according to which the consent of all ministries concerned was required for cross-cutting issues. This prevented her from filing a lawsuit, as the ministries involved obstructed the move.
The response to the breach of law by climate protection minister Gewessler must not be another breach of law. As constitutional minister, it is not an option for me to disregard the requirements of the Federal Ministries Act and state practice.
The June breakdown of the nature restoration vote was the latest clash between the Austrian EPP government and the Greens. The EPP-Greens coalition continues to act as an interim government until a new one is negotiated.
The European Nature Restoration Law, aimed at restoring 20 per cent of the EU’s degraded terrestrial and marine ecosystems by 2030 and all ecosystems by 2050, appears to be unpopular among Austrian farmers. They fear losing access to farmland, whereas hydroelectric dam owners raise concerns over having to demolish dams.
