The European Union has been at the forefront of the fight against climate change and nature conservation for years. But it is now under pressure from within to shelve new environmental efforts amid concerns they will damage the economy. With European Parliament elections coming up in 2024, some leaders and lawmakers fear that new binding legislation and restrictive measures will alienate workers and voters, and are urging the 27-nation bloc to put the brakes on. Measures to extend protections to large swaths of land are at the heart of the dispute. (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)