The European Parliament narrowly passed its proposed Nature Restoration Law as part of the European Union’s (EU) European Green Deal on Wednesday. The plan, proposed by the European Commission, sets targets for increasing biodiversity and improving the health of ecosystems across the EU. These include restoring wetlands and grasslands, increasing forest cover and protecting threatened species.

The vote occured amid political opposition and controversy, with the largest political group in the legislature, the Christian Democrat European People’s Party, vehemently decrying the plan. They claimed that it would affect food security and undermine the income of farmers. Despite the opposition, the plan’s passage marks a milestone in the EU’s commitment to fulfilling the Green Deal.

The bill will now be brought before EU member states for negotiations and approval. European Commissioner for Climate Action Frans Timmermans has expressed a willingness to find compromises that would seek to appease opponents of the bill.

The resulting law will need to balance the interests of industries, farmers, conservationists and the public to have broad political and social support. The European Commission hopes to find a compromise that maximizes benefits for both nature and the European economy.