submitted a draft restoration plan to Brussels on September 1, 2026, based on the EU Nature Restoration Law. The plan targets restoring 300 kilometers of free-flowing rivers and reconnecting 2,500 hectares of floodplains by the year 2030.
Austria currently manages 240,000 hectares of agricultural land for biodiversity, with 27 percent farmed organically. While 93 percent of forests are in good condition, Totschnig notes that additional conservation funds are needed to meet new EU regulations.
The government aims to limit land consumption to 2.5 hectares daily, with a report due in early September 2026. This follows legal friction after the ÖVP filed a criminal complaint against Leonore Gewessler for her previous vote in favor of the EU mandate.