Nature credits: " Staying cautious on regulation and financialisation" (EESC opinion)

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has adopted an opinion, published in the OJEU on 22/05/2026, on the creation of a European framework for "nature credits", instruments designed to finance the protection and restoration of biodiversity.

For the EESC, these credits can complement existing public funding (CAP, ecosystem services rendered, national subsidies), without replacing them or interfering with their existing scope of use. Furthermore, the EESC calls on the Commission to be cautious when it comes to regulation in this area, and considers that the development of nature credits should continue on a voluntary basis.

In terms of integrity, the EESC calls for the risks of greenwashing, speculation and the commodification of nature to be prevented by means of strict scientific criteria relating in particular to additionality, traceability and independent verification.

The EESC also highlights the social and territorial implications, with the involvement of local stakeholders, in particular farmers, foresters and local communities, as well as the prevention of…