The regulation in question aims to rehabilitate at least 20% of the European Union’s land and marine areas by 2030 and all degraded ecosystems by 2050.

It also sets obligations and targets in different policy areas including farmland, pollinators, rivers, forests and urban areas, in order to gradually reverse the environmental damage caused by climate change and uncontrolled human activity.

But last year, the law became the target of a fierce campaign by conservatives in opposition, in particular the European People’s Party (EPP), the largest formation in the Parliament.

In this regard, Gewessler was criticized by the Secretary General of the ruling ÖVP, Christian Stocker, for his vote at the EU Environment Council in Luxembourg, which was decisive for the approval of the controversial legislation.

According to Stocker, the minister’s actions were against the country’s Constitution and the decision to file the criminal complaint against her comes amid tensions between the government’s coalition partners, which have increased in recent hours and threaten the continuity of the Executive that came to power in 2019.

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