EU countries split over nature law in latest blow to green agenda

BRUSSELS: The European Union’s flagship policy to restore damaged nature is hanging in the balance, with a vote to pass the law on Monday cancelled after Hungary unexpectedly withdrew its support for the bill.

The vote, scheduled to take place at a meeting of EU countries’ environment ministers on Monday in Brussels, was called off after Hungary said it would no longer back the policy - wiping out the already-slim reinforced majority of countries in favour and leaving ministers struggling to decide their next steps.

The nature law is the latest EU environmental policy to come under fire as policymakers try to respond to months of angry farmers’ protests over complaints including strict green EU regulations. The EU has already weakened numerous green rules to attempt to quell the protests.

“The agricultural sector is a very important sector, not only in Hungary, but everywhere in Europe,” Hungary’s state secretary for environment Aniko Raisz told reporters. She said Hungary’s concerns included the cost of implementing the law.

EU environment commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius said shelving the law would send a “disastrous signal” about the EU’s credibility, especially after the bloc pushed other countries in UN negotiations to back stronger targets to protect nature.