Nature restoration takes off: mid-term assessment of National Restoration Plans

A new NGO-led evaluation finds that implementation of the Nature Restoration Law (NRL) is underway in most Member States, marking a crucial first step towards repairing Europe’s degraded ecosystems. With National Restoration Plans (NRPs)[1] taking shape across the EU, success now hinges on political leadership, proper resourcing and broad stakeholder backing.

About the report  

The analysis covers 23 Member States, examining whether they set the foundations for NRPs that deliver on the ground. It analyses progress across four areas essential for credible NRPs: 

1. Science base (use of best-available knowledge and data)
2. Ambition (vision and scope)
3. Inclusiveness (participation and transparency)
4. Empowerment (political buy‑in, coordination and resources)

Several frontrunners are paving the way for timely and credible National Restoration Plans, yet the overall progress remains uneven and insufficient to reach the law’s binding targets. The findings come days after the European Environment Agency’s 8th EAP monitoring confirmed that the EU remains off track on biodiversity and ecosystem objectives, highlighting the NRL as a key tool to reverse the negative trend.

Frontrunners show what is possible

Several countries demonstrate what good NRPs preparation can look like. Czechia, Germany, Finland, France, Portugal and Spain show stronger use of scientific evidence in their NRPs. Portugal stands out as the only country treating its NRP as a strategic national plan covering a wide range of ecosystems, rather than a narrow compliance exercise, while Croatia and Germany also show growing ambition.

France and Germany demonstrate good practice on inclusiveness, while Finland, Ireland, Spain, Sweden and Czechia show progress. These examples prove that inclusive, science-based and ambitious NRPs are within reach, if governments choose to invest in their development. 

Despite this positive momentum, many countries are still behind and remain at an “insufficient” or “early” stage of the NRPs preparation. The biggest weaknesses are lack of political empowerment and capacity; many governments have yet to allocate the staff, funds or authority needed to maximise opportunities offered by this groundbreaking law. 

Must-do for large-scale restoration

The analysis highlights a set of priority actions that must be taken to translate the Nature Restoration Law into effective and timely action:

• Stronger political buy-in and stakeholder support are essential, achieved by prioritising actions that deliver the greatest ecological, climate and socio-economic benefits, and clearly communicating tangible outcomes these actions bring such as flood protection, fire prevention and new job opportunities. This remains critical for effective NRL implementation.

• Public awareness and support for nature restoration must be strengthened through targeted communication and education on the NRL and NRPs process, explaining the imperative need for restoration, its benefits, and how it can be implemented fairly, using accessible and inclusive outreach tools (media, public workshops, and online platforms).

• Restoration measures should be accelerated and scaled up ahead of the NRPs adoption, in line with the urgency of achieving the 2030 targets, focusing on areas with the highest ecological, climate and socio‑economic benefits.

The European Commission’s support and scrutiny will be pivotal in achieving these objectives. In parallel, strengthened capacity and funding for Member States will be essential, including securing additional and targeted restoration financing in the next EU budget. Ultimately, however, each Member State must demonstrate leadership and accountability by delivering a high-quality NRP on schedule.
 

The #RestoreNature coalition, consisting of BirdLife Europe, ClientEarth, EEB and WWF EU, says: “National Restoration Plans are already underway across Europe, with several frontrunners showing what’s possible. The rest must catch up fast. Recent political debates about reopening the law are a distraction; the real test is whether governments deliver ambitious, well-supported and resourced plans or just fall back on box-ticking. The Nature Restoration Law gives Europe a clear path out of nature collapse towards resilience, and half-hearted implementation is not an option.”