Yes, it's true, these controversial regulations have just come into force. – (..) We have two years to prepare national reconstruction plans. To a large extent, this may concern agricultural areas, so the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has a difficult task to keep an eye on the Ministry of Climate and Environment and their crazy, anti-agricultural ideas – wrote Jacek Zarzecki, among others, a representative of Copa Cogeca, on this topic on platform X.
NRL what is it?
We remind you that the NRL has been controversial from the start. First, it was “hidden” before the European Parliament elections, so as not to irritate protesting farmers, and quietly prepared for a vote. Then, a week after the elections, it was quickly included in the work and voted on.
Specifically, on June 17, the Nature Restoration Law (NRL) was adopted. It was approved with the opposition of Poland, Italy, Hungary, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden. Belgium abstained from voting. At the last minute, the representative of Austria voted for the regulations, and as it turned out later, she did not have the government's recommendation for this. In addition, we also wrote about Slovakia changing its mind at the last minute, in favor of allowing the shooting of bears. The bad taste remained, but the law was voted on anyway and came into force on August 18.
For the law to be considered binding, a qualified majority was needed. This means that at least 15 of the 27 countries had to vote "in favor." But the countries supporting the regulation must also represent at least 65 percent of the citizens of the entire community.
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Slovak consent to NRL for law allowing killing of bears?
Agricultural Impacts and NRL
The aim of the Nature Restoration Law is to introduce measures to restore at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030 and all ecosystems requiring restoration by 2050. And by 2030, Member States will prioritise Natura 2000 sites when implementing restoration measures.
There was also a dual voice in Poland. This was directly admitted in a post on the 10th by Polish Deputy Minister of Climate Urszula Zielińska, who wrote with satisfaction, although Poland did not support the NRL. "We have it! The Nature Restoration Law was passed by the votes of most countries in Europe! Unfortunately, this time without Poland's vote, because we failed to convince Polish farmers. But the most important thing is that it exists, because without healthy nature there are no healthy people. And Polish farmers have nothing to fear: the regulation is practically voluntary, and its goals, including the restoration of 90,000 ha of wetlands on agricultural land by 2050, can be implemented on state land, without any interference with private or leased agricultural land."
And Donald Tusk himself said that the regulation raises doubts. – It contains a certain type of orders and obligations, without providing financing – he said. And he added that it also introduces "a sense of uncertainty, that this is not what it should be about, that burdens and obligations are imposed".
Donald Tusk declared that Poland will achieve the goals set by the NRL "Without imposing constraints and burdens". He added that the government will want to link the restoration of wetlands and flooding of some agricultural lands contained in the NRL with the construction of the so-called eastern shield. Will this be the case?
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Controversial NRL proceedings. Regulations "virtually" voluntary for farmers? 
