A brown bear at a body of water near the border between Finland and Russia in Kuhmo, Eastern Finland, in August 2022. With the EU’s controversial nature restoration law coming into effect on Sunday, Finland has two years to devise a plan for restoring at least 20 per cent of its natural land and sea habitats to or close to their natural habitats. (Jussi Nukari – Lehtikuva)
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THE NATURE RESTORATION LAW of the EU entered into force yesterday, obligating member states to devise measures that restore 20 per cent of natural land and sea habitats to or close to their original state across the 27-member union.
The fate of the controversial proposal hung in the balance for some time, but the proposal secured the requisite support from member states in June, following an unexpected U-turn by Austria.
Finland was one of the opponents of the law, which was drafted to put a stop to biodiversity loss.
The European Commission has granted member states two years to devise their restoration measures and considerable leeway in regards to the location and nature of the restoration efforts.
In Finland, most of the measures will be related one way or another to improving the condition of wetlands and waterways, according to Helsingin Sanomat. The habitat types identified as targets of restoration include oligotrophic lakes, rivulets and creeks; boreal forests, herb-rich forests, and coniferous forests on glaciofluvial eskers; coastal dunes; as well as aapa mires and alkaline fens.
The measures could include filling wetland ditches, increasing the amount of decayed wood in forests and returning grazing to traditional grazing areas.
The costs of the measures have generated plenty of debate in Finland. The cost estimates, though, have varied noticeably.
The Ministry of the Environment in June estimated that implementing the measures necessary under the restoration law could cost some 700 million a year. The total sum would not necessarily have to be added to the central government budget because some existing efforts under programmes to protect forests and waterways could qualify as restoration measures.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
