Panel discussion
As it had been announced at the end of the Conference of last 7th April on the Regulation on restoration of nature Organized by the Regional Council of Tuscany and the CNR-ISC (National Research Council), which also participated in the Italian Hunting Federation, a summary document was produced and approved to comprehensively summarize and implement the findings of the afternoon session. This document, based on the conclusions of the round table discussion among a group of stakeholders, resulted in the so-called "Florence Document" on Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 on Nature Restoration, signed by Stefano Focardi of the CNR-Istituto Sistemi Complessi (CNR Institute of Complex Systems), Florence; Michele Bottazzo of the Federcaccia Studies and Research Office, Rome; Renato Ferretti of the National Council of the Order of Agronomists and Foresters, Rome; Monica Tommasi of Amici della Terra Onlus, Rome; Marco Zaccaroni of the Department of Biology, University of Florence; and Matteo Martinet, Coordinator of the ATI (Consortium for the Valle d'Aosta Region).
Fundamental legislation
As stated in the document's summary, this is "an appeal to the institutions responsible for drafting and implementing the Nature Restoration Plan because, although nearly two years have passed since the relevant EU regulation was approved, no consultation with stakeholders has taken place. Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 on Nature Restoration is, in fact, a fundamental piece of legislation for reversing ecosystem degradation and promoting the environmental resilience of our country, but it risks being undermined without engagement with the local community and stakeholders. Given the imminent deadline for submitting the Plan to the European Commission (by 30/08/26), there are also concerns that there will not be enough time for a genuine and constructive discussion between the parties.
Future financing plans
Stakeholders also disagree with the choices made in the current draft Plan, prepared by the relevant ministries and soon to be published, in focusing restoration interventions only on protected areas, thus leaving out all areas in need of intervention, such as agricultural areas. At the same time, stakeholders present at the conference are also concerned about the Plan's drafters' decision not to invest new resources in implementing the interventions, as this could jeopardize access to future EU funding plans. The Florence Document also proposes around twenty intervention measures, differentiated for agricultural, forestry, and freshwater environments, with a primary focus on wildlife conservation (source: FIDC).
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