The European Union's parliament on Wednesday backed a major plan to protect nature and fight climate change in a cliffhanger vote that had the 27-nation bloc's global green credentials at stake.
After weeks of intense lobbying against the plan, the legislature still supported the general outlines of a European Commission bill in a razor-thin 324-312 vote with 12 abstentions to send it onward to negotiations with the member states.
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.
The vote "marks a significant milestone in our commitment to fulfilling the Green Deal," said MEP Mohammed Chahim of the socialist group.
The plans proposed by the European Commission, the EU's executive branch, set binding restoration targets for specific habitats and species, with the aim to cover at least 20 per cent of the region's land and sea areas by 2030.
Despite the staunch opposition of the legislature's biggest group, the European People's Party, the plan survived in the highly anticipated vote at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.
The Christian Democrat's EPP opposition also highlighted the fundamental struggle in Europe on how to deal with climate issues. Despite the succession of droughts, floods and heat waves increasingly hitting countless areas in Europe, the EPP wanted to hit the pause button on such environmental action and concentrate on economic competitiveness first and foremost over the next five years.
Together with other conservatives and the hard right, it said the plans would undermine food security, fuel inflation and hurt farmers. Thousands of scientists and even multinational companies argued instead to back the proposed plans.
"The disinformation campaign and attempts to derail the Nature Restoration Law from the EPP leadership and their far-right friends has failed," said Greens leader Terry Reintke. "Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and return to constructive and consensus based politics."
On top of the overall vote, legislators also voted on more than 100 amendments to make the plan more flexible. The approved amendments will be taken into negotiations with the member states that will take months before a final law can be approved.
The EU's climate czar Frans Timmermans said he was willing to look beyond the disinformation "nonsense" that marred the campaigning against the nature restoration law and was open to find compromises that would also seek to appease the EPP.
"I offer my open hand to the EPP to find compromises that would be agreeable to them as well," he said.
EU Commission Vice President Timmermans wants the nature restoration law to be a key part of the Green Deal since it's necessary for maximum impact. Others say that if the EU fails on the nature restoration law, it would indicate an overall fatigue on climate issues.
Serial killer Robert Pickton will remain in a medically induced coma for at least the next few days following an attack in a Quebec prison Sunday, according to police spokesperson Hugues Beaulieu.
Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like 'Drops of Jupiter' and 'Meet Virginia,' has died. He was 58.
When serial killer Robert Pickton was transferred from British Columbia's Kent Institution to a maximum security prison in Quebec about six years ago, correctional authorities gave no public explanation or confirmation at the time, citing privacy.
A group of people from eastern Ontario and western Quebec is issuing a warning about Dennis Walker and his company Vue Windows.
When Chrissy Chin volunteered to take in a fancy pigeon abandoned on a park bench, she never imagined she would one day be ordering custom-made diapers for the bird – who lives in her house and has become a member of the family.
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
Five people died and at least 35 were hurt as powerful tornadoes ripped through Iowa Tuesday, with one carving a path of destruction through the town of Greenfield, officials said.
Genetic genealogy has helped Toronto police identify a woman who was found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017.
A year after admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki was arrested for killing four Indigenous women, investigators learned he was writing to a ‘pen pal’ inmate in Nova Scotia – handwritten letters that are now being entered as evidence in his trial.
A 20-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a shooting at a Jewish school in Montreal last fall.
An Indigenous employee with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) in Regina is taking up the fight against what he describes as systemic racism by his employer.
Montreal police are investigating a triple homicide after three young people were stabbed to death in an alleyway Tuesday evening. The killings mark a particularly violent period of the year so far, with seven homicides recorded since May 12.
Canada and the United States are suspending all fishing for Canadian-origin Yukon River chinook salmon for seven years in an attempt to protect the dwindling species.
Dallas Ly has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of his mother, whom he stabbed during a dispute in 2022 before decapitating and dumping her remains on the side of the road in east Toronto.
A group representing the families of hostages held in Gaza has released new video footage showing Hamas' capture of five female Israeli soldiers near the Gaza border on Oct. 7.
Nikki Haley said Wednesday that she will be voting for Donald Trump in the general election, a notable show of support given their intense and often personal rivalry during the Republican primary calendar.
The families of 19 of the victims in the Uvalde elementary school shooting in Texas on Wednesday announced a lawsuit against nearly 100 state police officers who were part of the botched law enforcement response.
A federal judge has signed off on the US$600 million class action settlement over last year's disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment in eastern Ohio, but many people who live near East Palestine are still wondering how much they will end up with out of the deal.
A disgruntled employee opened fire at a linen company near Philadelphia on Wednesday, killing two coworkers and injuring three others, authorities said.
Norway, Ireland and Spain said Wednesday they would recognize a Palestinian state, a historic but largely symbolic move that further deepens Israel's isolation more than seven months into its grinding war against Hamas in Gaza.
The NDP has accused the government of bungling measures introduced months ago that were meant to bring relatives of Canadians from conflict zones in Sudan and the Gaza Strip to safety.
Canada's dental care plan is 'getting there' Health Minister Mark Holland said Wednesday defending the program's rollout that's now seen two million seniors sign up, but just 10,000 oral health providers enrolled to treat them.
A former military leader who was accused of sexual misconduct in 2021 is suing the federal government, the Armed Forces and his accuser, claiming he was maliciously prosecuted for political reasons.
Texas' health department has appointed an outspoken anti-abortion OB-GYN to a committee that reviews pregnancy-related deaths as doctors have been warning that the state’s restrictive abortion ban puts women’s lives at risk.
Thousands of Canadians live each year with a devastating diagnosis: ALS. The condition, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, currently has no cure, but that could change after a promising breakthrough in Canadian research.
The Canadian Society of Nephrology has a planning committee to find ways to reduce waste. One goal is to develop a carbon footprint calculator to collect data on the environmental impact of kidney care.
The surge in Canada's tick population is linked to recent changes in our climate, according to Mount Allison University biology professor Vett Lloyd.
A Michigan farmworker has been diagnosed with bird flu — the second human case associated with an outbreak in U.S. dairy cows.
The sun has a powerful magnetic field that creates sunspots on the star's surface and unleashes solar storms such as the one that bathed much of the planet in beautiful auroras this month.
Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like 'Drops of Jupiter' and 'Meet Virginia,' has died. He was 58.
Nashville councilmembers have rejected plans for a glowing sign to be erected at Morgan Wallen's new bar along the city's neon-lit strip of honky tonks, citing his use of a racial slur that caused controversy in 2021 and recent criminal charges accusing the country star of throwing a chair off a rooftop near two police officers.
The Writers Guild of Canada has ratified a new three-year contract that increases pay and implements artificial intelligence protections for writers, story editors and story consultants.
Nvidia on Wednesday overshot Wall Street estimates as its profit skyrocketed, bolstered by the chip-making dominance that has made the company an icon of the artificial intelligence boom.
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
The Writers Guild of Canada has ratified a new three-year contract that increases pay and implements artificial intelligence protections for writers, story editors and story consultants.
When Chrissy Chin volunteered to take in a fancy pigeon abandoned on a park bench, she never imagined she would one day be ordering custom-made diapers for the bird – who lives in her house and has become a member of the family.
A private island on Nova Scotia’s South Shore has been listed for sale with a $11.5-million USD price tag.
A city known for its history, ties to outer space and southern barbecue, is also home to a Winnipeg chef dishing out dozens of perogies.
Rick Tocchet of the Vancouver Canucks is this season's Jack Adams Award winner as the NHL's coach of the year.
Sheldon Keefe has been hired as the head coach of the New Jersey Devils.
LeBron James is now the youngest — and the oldest — player to make an All-NBA team. And Dallas' Luka Doncic and Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are in position to make around US$1 million per game a few years from now.
BMW and Ethiopian-American artist Julie Mehretu unveiled her newest 'Art Car' at the Pompidou Centre in Paris, France.
Interpol says more than 200 stolen Canadian vehicles have been found each week across the globe since February.
California could eventually join the European Union in requiring all new cars to alert drivers when they break the speed limit.
When Jujhar Mann said he wanted to be a pastry chef on a grade school career project, he didn't imagine that pursuing his dream would land him on a popular Netflix baking competition.
A city known for its history, ties to outer space and southern barbecue, is also home to a Winnipeg chef dishing out dozens of perogies.
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
Public libraries in Atlantic Canada are now lending a broader range of items.
Flashes of purple darting across the sky mixed with the serenading sound of songs will be noticed more with spring in full force in Manitoba.
Catching 'em all with impressive speed, a 7-year-old boy from Windsor, Ont. who only started his competitive Pokémon journey seven months ago has already levelled up to compete at a world championship level.
A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
2b Theatre recently moved into the old Video Difference building, seeking to transform it into an artistic hub, meeting space, and temporary housing unit for visiting performers in Halifax.
A B.C. woman says her service dog pulled her from a lake moments before she had a seizure, saving her life.
A pedestrian died after being hit by a train going through Langley on Wednesday afternoon, authorities have confirmed.
They are the sounds of progress and the sights that represent hope. They are the beginnings of new construction in Lytton that will bring people home.
The cost of a plan to eradicate an invasive species of deer from Sidney Island just off the coast of Vancouver Island has ballooned.
A Toronto-area hockey coach has been charged in a sexual exploitation investigation by Peel police.
Severe thunderstorms moved through southern Ontario Wednesday, prompting several weather advisories, including tornado warnings, issued throughout the day.
Dallas Ly has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of his mother, whom he stabbed during a dispute in 2022 before decapitating and dumping her remains on the side of the road in east Toronto.
A new Calgary program could come as early as next month to incentivize safety in secondary suite development as the city aims to boost its housing supply.
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
Controversial legislation that originally aimed to give the Alberta government more power over municipalities but is expected to be scaled back did not pass through the legislature on Wednesday due to time constraints.
A group of people from eastern Ontario and western Quebec is issuing a warning about Dennis Walker and his company Vue Windows.
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
Thousands of Canadians live each year with a devastating diagnosis: ALS. The condition, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, currently has no cure, but that could change after a promising breakthrough in Canadian research.
Some tenants in Montreal's Notre-Dame-de-Grace neighbourhood are bracing for a sweltering summer. Their building on Monkland Avenue is not allowing them to turn on air conditioning because of repairs to their balconies. The repair work is expected to last all summer.
A 20-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a shooting at a Jewish school in Montreal last fall.
A violent brawl that ended with the stabbing deaths of three young people, including a 15-year-old boy, in Montreal Tuesday evening was not related to street gangs, but rather a "personal conflict," police say.
Several business owners at Edmonton's Westmount Shopping Centre say they've been given only 30-days notice to find a new location.
The Dallas Stars have a committed, well-balanced attack heading into Thursday's Western Conference final opener against Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the high-flying Edmonton Oilers.
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
An RCMP officer and her service dog found a missing four-year-old boy in the area of Memramcook, N.B., Monday evening.
A Moncton man is facing numerous charges – including drug trafficking – after police arrested him for allegedly stealing a fuel truck and rolling it over on a Nova Scotia highway on Sunday.
A new plane is transporting hundreds of non-critical patients to Halifax, saving time and keeping ambulances in their communities.
A year after admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki was arrested for killing four Indigenous women, investigators learned he was writing to a ‘pen pal’ inmate in Nova Scotia – handwritten letters that are now being entered as evidence in his trial.
An 18-year-old Winnipegger who was shot two years ago at the Red River Ex has now filed a lawsuit related to the incident.
We asked, and you answered. Winnipeggers shared a number of their favourite restaurants that have since closed down, but will live forever in their memories. More restaurants generated by your submissions have been added. Take a look to see if you made the list.
Two Regina city councillors put forward a motion to rename Dewdney Avenue during Wednesday's regular meeting at city hall.
An Indigenous employee with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) in Regina is taking up the fight against what he describes as systemic racism by his employer.
A Regina man is in custody following a police operation that involved SWAT in North Central Regina on Tuesday.
A six-vehicle crash brought traffic to a standstill in the westbound lanes of Highway 401 through Cambridge on Wednesday morning.
Maple Leaf Foods announced Wednesday that it is closing its Brantford, Ont. plant in early 2025.
Kitchener's mayor was "very disappointed and very angry" after young people were seen shooting off fireworks at others on Victoria Day.
The mayor of Cumberland House says he’s considering declaring a state of emergency over the deteriorating condition of the only highway in and out of the village.
The Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation (JPCHF) and the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) are looking to change pediatric care in the province for years to come.
Lanes were closed on an overpass at Idywyld Drive and 51st Street on Wednesday morning after a semi-truck overturned, spilling a pile of lumber into the ditch.
An 81-year-old man has been charged with criminal harassment of a city councillor in Sudbury.
Serial killer Robert Pickton will remain in a medically induced coma for at least the next few days following an attack in a Quebec prison Sunday, according to police spokesperson Hugues Beaulieu.
Earthquakes Canada and Vale confirm a 3.1 MN magnitude seismic event occurred shortly after 9 a.m. on May 22 at the Garson Mine site in Greater Sudbury, Ont.
On Wednesday, the Civic Works Committee recommended holding a public meeting in July about whether to further restrict the hours when Londoners can use gas-powered lawn mowers, weed trimmers and leaf blowers.
Ninth grader Eccaia Sampson has been doing karate for nine years and in the last five years she has been training in movie stunts. It is her passion for karate and stunts that has her packing her bags to head to Beijing, China this June.
Three teens are facing multiple charges after allegedly throwing items at shoppers, assaulting an employee and an officer, and firing an imitation weapon at a west end grocery store on Tuesday night.
Environment Canada has lifted a Tornado warning for Simcoe County.
A Barrie couple who lost their home in 2021 to a tornado that devastated a south-end neighbourhood spent an unforgettable day as guests at Buckingham Palace.
Severe storms rolled into central Ontario on Wednesday, with Environment Canada warning about 120 kilometres per hour winds that had the potential to produce a tornado.
In what is being billed as an 'example of anti-Palestinian racism in Windsor,' a video circulating on social media shows a young woman denied entry to a St. Clair College facility for wearing a keffiyeh.
Ryan Taylor, 35, has pleaded not guilty to a single charge of second-degree murder for the death of 38 year old Thomas 'TJ' McIntyre. A jury of five women and seven men learned Wednesday the broad strokes of the prosecution’s case against Taylor.
Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island and the Essex County Federation of Agriculture are bringing farm life to the city during 'Open Farms: Farm in the City' on May 25 to the Downtown Windsor Farmers’ Market.
As 18-year-old Sidney McIntyre-Starko lay dying from a fentanyl overdose, several of her University of Victoria classmates watched helplessly, not recognizing what happened to her or how to perform CPR.
The cost of a plan to eradicate an invasive species of deer from Sidney Island just off the coast of Vancouver Island has ballooned.
A 49-year-old tow truck driver is dead after he suffered a medical emergency and drove off the highway Tuesday near Victoria.
One person is dead after a fight in Penticton early Sunday morning, according to authorities.
A suspect is at large after robbing a convenience store at gunpoint in Merritt, B.C., Friday, according to local police.
After four targeted shootings in four days, Mounties in Kamloops are taking the unusual step of warning the public about two men they believe are likely to be targeted in future violent incidents.
Alberta received a D- grade on Food Bank Canada’s annual poverty report card – a mark that did not come as a surprise for many organizations in Lethbridge.
Alberta sheriffs have closed a problem property in Medicine Hat, saying officers were frequently called to the home because of drug activity and violence.
Lethbridge police hit the road over the May long weekend, as part of an ongoing traffic enforcement project.
From paper and pen to tablets and computers, staff at the Greater Sudbury hospital are preparing for what they say is one of the biggest changes to happen to the hospital in decades.
Daily security patrols are returning to Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.’s downtown this summer. City council recently approved a pilot program that will see security patrols mid-day and in the evenings.
A U.S. citizen is facing impaired driving and other charges following an incident May 20 in Sault Ste. Marie.
79-year-old Madonna Wilkinson has been playing the accordion since she was 15, when she picked one up that had been left behind at one of her parents' rollicking parties in the oceanside town about 25 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L. She has played Sunday masses and St. Patrick's Day parties, and community events of all kinds.
Canada's new $10-a-day child care program is expanding, but there's growing evidence that demand for the program is rising even faster, leaving many parents on the outside looking in.
A new study shows an Atlantic salmon population in southern Newfoundland is disappearing, and it says nearby aquaculture operations are a likely contributor to the decline.
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