Key EU biodiversity law makes next stage despite rebellion from MEPs

Centre-right group fail to win enough support to defeat proposals after knife-edge voting

The EU's flagship environment law to restore biodiversity on land and rivers is hanging by a thread after a rebellion mounted by a centre-right group of MEPs failed to block the proposed legislation from going to the next stage in the parliamentary process.

In a dead heat, 44 MEPs voted in favour and 44 against the nature restoration law that was proposed last year as a fundamental part of the EU's green deal.