By Pietro Lombardi
MADRID (Reuters) – Spain’s Energy Minister Teresa Ribera said on Monday she hoped European lawmakers would support this week a flagship law to restore nature, so that negotiations among European Union institutions can start.
The European Parliament will vote on Wednesday on a European Commission proposal for a law to restore damaged environments. The vote is expected to be tight and the parliament’s largest group, the conservative European People’s Party, opposes it, claiming that it would threaten food security.
“I hope the parliament reaches a position that supports this file,” Ribera said as she kicked off an informal meeting of environment and energy ministers in Valladolid, northwest of Spain.
Spain holds the EU rotating presidency until the end of the year.
“It is very important not only to conserve but also to restore nature… There will be time to improve what we have on the table but for the time being, the best thing we can do is to achieve an agreement,” Ribera said.
Ribera also called for a “viable” schedule for introducing new EU harmful emissions limits for cars to avoid causing serious harm to the auto industry.
(Reporting by Pietro Lombardi; Editing by Alex Richardson)
