Study on EU nature governance through the lens of the Nature Restoration Regulation implementation

The EU has established a comprehensive legislative framework aimed at addressing the pressing issue of biodiversity loss and its far-reaching consequences. The recently introduced Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) further strengthens these efforts by requiring concrete restoration initiatives to revive degraded ecosystems. Despite the robust legislative framework, significant challenges persist in the implementation and enforcement of EU nature protection laws. The ongoing deterioration of nature within the EU underscores the urgency of these challenges. 

In this context, adelphi research conducted a study to explore how the ongoing implementation of the NRR can address nature loss in the EU. The study sought to identify the most promising and feasible approaches to NRR implementation and highlight synergies - or threats – related to other legal, policy, and societal objectives at both EU and national levels. 

The first stage of the study consisted in a SWOT analysis of sixteen pieces of legislation and strategies that support or detract from nature conservation and restoration, looking at their implementation and enforcement and focusing on the EU level. The analysis provided a rapid overview of the current EU nature governance as a basis for discussion for the second phase of the study.