Legislative Process

Thursday, 27 June 2024

Questions (172)

Jennifer Whitmore

Question:

172. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the transposition of the Nature Restoration Law into Irish law. [27728/24]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The Nature Restoration Regulation (also known as the Nature Restoration Law, NRL) was approved by a qualified majority vote (QMV) during the session of the Environment Council in Luxembourg on Monday 17th June 2024. The Regulation will enter into force 20 days after it is published in the EU Official Journal.

An EU regulation is a binding legislative act that must be applied in its entirety across the Union. As such, it differs materially from an EU directive which sets out policy objectives for EU Member States to achieve and requires transposition into national legislation.

In the case of the NRL, it is up to each Member State to decide how it will achieve the obligations in the regulation by making a national Nature Restoration Plan within 24 months of the regulation coming into force.