Leonore Gewessler ended a months-long deadlock by defying the Austrian chancellor - and opposing farming lobbies - to back the Nature Restoration Law, which also aims to mitigate climate change and the effect of natural disasters.

Regions with the most potential to capture and store carbon will be prioritised under the legislation, as well as habitats in poor health and in Natura 2000 sites: an EU network of protected areas with at-risk species or ecosystems.