With the adoption of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR), the European Union has established the first legally binding framework for large-scale ecosystem restoration. By 2030, restoration measures are to cover at least 20% of the EU’s terrestrial and marine areas, with all ecosystems in need of restoration to be addressed by 2050. However, a recent comment published in Nature Reviews Biodiversity argues that the success of the regulation will depend not only on the ambition of its restoration targets but also on how these targets are translated into effective implementation on the ground.

From Restoration Targets to Restoration Landscapes

The authors advocate a fundamental shift from project-based restoration towards spatially coordinated restoration landscapes. Ecological processes do not follow administrative boundaries, and isolated restoration measures often fail to deliver their full ecological potential. Rivers, peatlands, forests and agricultural landscapes are functionally interconnected, requiring restoration efforts to be coordinated across entire landscapes. Such an approach can enhance ecological effectiveness while helping to reconcile competing land uses, including agriculture, water management, biodiversity conservation and infrastructure development.

Governance, Long-Term Financing and Societal Legitimacy

According to the authors, implementing the Nature Restoration Regulation is as much a governance challenge as an ecological one. Achieving restoration at a landscape scale requires effective coordination across administrative levels, stable long-term financing mechanisms, and broad societal support. Because many restoration measures take place on privately owned land and deliver benefits over decades, successful implementation depends on the active participation of landowners, public authorities and other stakeholders. The authors therefore emphasise that durable governance structures, financial credibility and societal legitimacy are essential prerequisites for large-scale restoration.

A Conceptual Framework for Europe’s Restoration Policy

Rather than presenting new empirical findings, the article provides a conceptual perspective on how the Nature Restoration Regulation can be implemented successfully. The authors argue that the transition from restoration targets to restoration landscapes represents a necessary evolution in European restoration policy. If supported by integrated planning, effective governance and sustained investment, this landscape-scale approach has the potential to strengthen biodiversity, enhance ecosystem services, improve climate change adaptation and mitigation, and contribute to more resilient and multifunctional landscapes across Europe.