Article 11 4

4.   Member States shall put in place measures which shall aim to restore organic soils in agricultural use constituting drained peatlands. Those measures shall be in place on at least:

Member States may put in place restoration measures, including rewetting, in areas of peat extraction sites and count those areas as contributing to meeting the respective targets referred to in the first subparagraph, points (a), (b) and (c).

In addition, Member States may put in place restoration measures to rewet organic soils that constitute drained peatlands under land uses other than agricultural use and peat extraction and count those rewetted areas as contributing, up to a maximum of 40 %, to meeting the targets referred to in the first subparagraph, points (a), (b) and (c).

Restoration measures that consist in rewetting peatland, including the water levels to be achieved, shall contribute to reducing greenhouse gas net emissions and increasing biodiversity, while taking national and local circumstances into account.

Where duly justified, the extent of the rewetting of peatland under agricultural use may be reduced to less than required under the first subparagraph, points (a), (b) and (c), of this paragraph by a Member State if such rewetting is likely to have significant negative impacts on infrastructure, buildings, climate adaptation or other public interests and if such rewetting cannot take place on land other than agricultural land. Any such reduction shall be determined in accordance with Article 14(8).

The obligation for Member States to meet the rewetting targets set out in the first subparagraph, points (a), (b) and (c), does not imply an obligation for farmers and private landowners to rewet their land, for whom rewetting on agricultural land remains voluntary, without prejudice to obligations stemming from national law.

Member States shall, as appropriate, incentivise rewetting to make it an attractive option for farmers and private landowners and foster access to training and advice to farmers and other stakeholders on the benefits of rewetting peatland and on the options of subsequent land management and related opportunities.