An EU plan aimed at fighting climate change will go to final votes, even if watered down

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European Union institutions and conservationists have given a conditional and guarded welcome to a major plan to better protect nature and fight climate change in the 27-nation bloc

BRUSSELS — European Union institutions and conservationists on Friday gave a conditional and guarded welcome to a major plan to better protect nature and fight climate change in the 27-nation bloc.

The plan is a key part of the EU’s vaunted European Green Deal that seeks to establish the world’s most ambitious climate and biodiversity targets and make the bloc the global point of reference on all climate issues. Yet it has had an extremely rough ride through the EU's complicated approval process and only a watered-down version will now proceed to final votes.

Late Thursday's breakthrough agreement between parliament and EU member states should have normally been the end of the approval process. But given the controversy the plan had previously stirred, the final votes — normally a rubberstamp process — could still throw up some hurdles.

The plan has lost some of its progressive edge during negotiations over the summer because of fierce opposition in the EU's legislature, particularly from the Christian Democrat EPP, the largest of the political groups.

«The final text on this law has little to do with the original proposal,” said EPP legislator Christine Schneider. The EPP opposition also highlighted the core struggle in Europe over how to deal with climate issues. Despite the succession of droughts, floods and heat waves that have swept through many areas in Europe, the EPP wants to hit the pause button on environmental action and concentrate on economic competitiveness first over the next five years.

Under the plan, member states would