Cudars and EU commissioner discuss restoration of degraded ecosystems in Europe

RIGA - Smart Administration and Regional Development Minister Raimonds Cudars (New Unity), during a meeting with Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, discussed the EU Nature Restoration Regulation, which provides for the long-term restoration of degraded ecosystems in the European Union (EU), LETA was told at the Smart Administration and Regional Development Ministry.

The regulation sets a target for the EU to restore at least 20 percent of the bloc's land and sea areas by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050.

The meeting discussed the practical challenges for the implementation of the regulation and the need to ensure sufficient and predictable funding to meet these targets.

The discussion also addressed the future of the LIFE program and its role in the implementation of nature conservation and restoration projects, particularly at the level of municipalities, NGOs, scientific institutions and communities. The discussions touched on nature loans as a possible complementary instrument to attract private investment for nature-friendly activities, while stressing that they cannot replace stable and long-term predictable public funding.

The officials also discussed EU-driven environmental simplification measures, which will allow authorities to focus more on the quality of their data, review reporting requirements and reduce administrative burdens.

The EU commissioner and the Latvian minister agreed that nature is an essential basis for Europe's economy and security - water resources, ecosystems and biodiversity are critical for agriculture, energy and business in general.