The European Commission’s proposal for a Nature Restoration Law (NRL) has garnered much publicity across Europe in recent weeks, attracting both lavish praise and harsh criticism. Its supporters claim that it is a fundamental step towards protecting and restoring ecosystems across Europe, while its detractors argue that its targets are unrealistic and can only be fulfilled at great cost to the economy and to society, and to agricultural communities in particular. A recent vote by the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) threatened to prevent bill from being enacted, but the law’s prospects were resuscitated when the Parliament narrowly voted in its favour at its last meeting before the summer recess. But what exactly is the controversial NRL and why is it so divisive at both the Irish and European levels?