Controversial proposals for an EU nature restoration law have failed to get the backing of the European Parliament’s environment committee.

Forty-four MEPs voted to back the planned law while another 44 voted against it.

The committee will now propose scrapping the European Commission’s plans for a nature restoration law to be rolled out across the EU when all MEPs vote on law’s fate next month.

Environment Committee chair Pascal Canafin told the other MEPs that the vote means the committee “shall propose to the parliament in plenary that the proposal shall be rejected, so that is what we will do for the starting point for the plenary in July”.

A plenary sitting of the European Parliament is when all MEPs debate and vote on legislation.

Other committees reject

Two other committees – agriculture and fisheries – have previously voted to take the nature restoration law completely off the table.

However, it is the environment committee that is taking the lead on the proposed law in parliament.

A hectic sitting of the environment committee on 15 June saw the final committee vote postponed until Tuesday.

Hundreds of amendments were voted on delaying the law from moving from committee stage to plenary.

The EPP group of MEPs had sought to reject the proposals on 15 June, but its calls failed to pass with 44 votes for and 44 against.