European commissioner and ‘green deal’ chief Frans Timmermans and Caroline van der Plas, leader of pro-farmers party BBB, met on Tuesday morning to discuss ways in which the Netherlands can meet targets to revitalize vulnerable rural areas which have been damaged by excess pollution.

The BBB emerged as the biggest party at the recent provincial elections and has the key role in forming all 12 local coalitions and the party may also hold the balance of power in the senate after May. Van der Plas had said she wanted to meet Timmermans to find out for herself what options are open to change the government’s focus on nitrogen and closing down farms.

After the meeting, Timmermans said he had been encouraged by BBB’s commitment to stick to the EU rules. The party, he said, has questions about the most optimal way to restore damaged nature and doubts about the current government’s plans.

There are other options thinkable, he said, while emphasing that the nitrogen problem has to be tackled. But it is up to member states to decide how to do this, he said.

Van der Plas said that Timmermans had ‘confirmed a lot about what we have been saying’ about the rules to combat damage to the natural environment. ‘People are always saying that Brussels won’t allow things,’ she told reporters. ‘The most important point for me is that Brussels does not always say no. At least, not always.’

The government sees buying out farms and other businesses which are highly polluting as the best way of reducing nitrogen emissions in particular and has hinted that compulsory purchase is on the cards. BBB and Van der Plas oppose any form of compulsion.

Not a fairytale

Van der Plas has already drawn up her own proposal for alternative ways of meeting the targets and the ideas in that documents are ‘not a fairytale’, Timmermans is quoted as saying.

The Council of State ruled in 2019 that the government was obliged to comply with European restrictions on nitrogen compound emissions to protect conservation areas known as Natura 2000 zones – areas of the countryside which the Dutch themselves identified.

The government has given the provinces a deadline of July 1 to come up with detailed plans to reduce emissions to below the limit in 74% of designated areas by 2030.