EU biodiversity law approved after last minute U-turn from Austria

A female Adonis blue butterfly (Polyommatus bellargus) is among myriad species that will be protected by the EU's biodiversity legislation and Europe's "Green Deal" © wikimedia commons

EU states have given their final approval to a key biodiversity and nature restoration law, after Austria's climate minister defied her chancellor to back the Europe-wide legislation.

According to Belgium, which holds the rotating EU presidency, the U-turn by Austrian minister Leonore Gewessler gave the law the majority support it needed to be adopted this Monday.