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EU countries divided over nature law in most current blow to green agenda

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 suddenly withdrew its assistance for the expense.

The vote, arranged to take place at a meeting of EU. nations' environment ministers in Brussels, was aborted. after Hungary stated it would no longer back the policy - wiping. out the already-slim bulk of nations in favour and leaving. ministers struggling to decide their next actions.

The nature law is the latest EU ecological policy to come. under fire as policymakers try to react to months of upset. farmers' demonstrations over problems including stringent green EU. policies. The EU has currently damaged various green guidelines to. effort to quell the protests.

The agricultural sector is a really crucial sector, not. just in Hungary, however everywhere in Europe, Hungary's state. secretary for environment Aniko Raisz informed reporters. She stated. Hungary's issues consisted of the expenses.

Alain Maron, the Belgian environment minister who chaired. Monday's talks, stated negotiations would continue but it was not. clear what changes to the law might win over opponents.

We do not understand precisely what are some factors to be against. this law for specific nations ... it's possible that they alter. their mind, he told an interview.

The law would be amongst the EU's biggest environmental. policies, needing nations to introduce measures bring back. nature on a fifth of their land and sea by 2030. Cancelling a. policy at this late phase of EU lawmaking is highly unusual.

Some EU diplomats stated countries had currently watered down. the law during settlements, and suggested Budapest's opposition. was simply political, instead of over a particular policy problem.

EU environment commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius stated. shelving the law would send out a devastating signal about the EU's. reliability, especially after the bloc pressed other nations in. U.N. settlements to back more powerful targets to safeguard nature.

We are deceiving ourselves if we pretend that we can win our. battle against climate modification without nature, Sinkevicius said.

Opposed to it are Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands and. Sweden. Austria, Belgium, Finland and Poland plan to abstain. in the vote.

Any among those 8 nations changing position could. enable the law to pass. The rest of the EU's 27 member states. support the policy.

Spanish environment minister Teresa Ribera said it would be a. huge irresponsibility to lower efforts to take on aggravating. nature loss and climate modification.

The law's aim is to reverse the 81% of Europe's natural. habitats that are classed as in bad condition. But the policy. has actually faced a backlash from some federal governments and lawmakers. worried it would enforce challenging rules on farmers, or clash. with other industries.

(source: Reuters)