The European Environment Council on Monday voted to approve a rewilding law, while Finland voted against the measure.
The Nature Restoration Law aims to restore 20 percent of the EU's land and sea areas by 2030 — as well as all ecosystems that need restoration by 2050.
The bill passed narrowly after Austria, which had previously abstained, voted in favour of the legislation during a meeting of EU environment ministers on Monday.
Finnish Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Kai Mykkänen (NCP), voted against the motion. In a speech, he said the costs incurred by the regulation would be disproportionately large for countries like Finland.
Both Finland and Sweden's governments have pushed back on the law, with opponents arguing the effort's obligations and costs would be unreasonably high, due to the countries' relatively large amount of forests, lakes and rivers.
In Finland, opposition parties supported the adoption of the restoration law, but the majority of government parties opposed it.
In effect this summer
The Nature Restoration Law aims to stop the reduction of biodiversity, and restore nature from harms caused by human activities.
The new rules will come into effect at the end of July or beginning of August. After that, member states have two years to draw up their rewilding plans.
Rewilding can be done in a number of ways, including by improving environmental conditions for particular plant and animal species, for example.
In March, Finland surprised EU partners by opposing the legislation, even though most of its demands had been met in drafting the law. Finland's move helped to stop the new law from passing.
At the end of last month, eight out of Finland's 14 MEPs signed a letter protesting the Finnish government's opposition.
Comprised of ministers responsible for environmental matters, the Environment Council is responsible for environmental policies in the EU, including environmental protection, use of resources and the protection of human health.
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