Eurogypsum, the European federation of national associations of producers of gypsum products, welcomes the European Commission’s ambitions on nature restoration and biodiversity, and has submitted some comments on how to best achieve the objectives set in the regulation proposed in June 2022.
The interaction between extractive industries and ecosystems is actually not only about restoring land and habitats after operations, but also managing ecosystems during the operation time. Quarries have proven to provide a refuge to endangered species.
An important key to the success of this proposal will be the ability for Member States to develop the most adequate Restoration Plans, reflecting the huge variety of ecosystems and challenges faced locally. Clear messages in the Regulation, supporting multi-stakeholder involvement in delivering the targets, would be particularly welcome, to ensure that this potential is really included in the respective National Restoration Plans.