Synergies and conflicts within the European Green Deal: a peatland case study

Peatlands play a vital role in climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and flood control, among other ecosystem services. They can be found all across the European Union (“EU”), yet many peatlands are degraded and are responsible for approximately 5–7% of the EU's total greenhouse gas emissions. Their urgent restoration and rewetting are therefore imperative. Given their versatility, peatlands intersect with multiple legal regimes, including climate, biodiversity, and agriculture. The European Green Deal (“EGD”) has spurred the adoption of numerous policy and legislative instruments aimed at making the EU the first climate‐neutral continent by 2050. In line with this ambition, the European Commission promotes policy integration. This paper examines potential synergies and conflicts among several EGD‐related instruments relevant to peatland restoration. Four instruments are analyzed, spanning three key domains: climate, biodiversity, and agriculture. One of these instruments is pertinent to all three domains. The analysis reveals considerable potential for synergies among the instruments; however, these synergies often remain unrealized, primarily due to weak or inconsistent implementation. To enhance coherence and effectiveness across policy areas and stakeholders, the paper proposes the adoption of an EU‐wide Peatland Strategy. Such a strategy could serve as a unifying framework to align diverse policy instruments, enhance coordination among stakeholders, and ensure that peatland restoration efforts are both effective and coherent.