Van Essen dismisses farmers’ alternative nitrogen emissions plan

Agriculture minister Jaimi van Essen has dismissed an alternative plan to solve the nitrogen pollution crisis presented by farmers’ organisations, arguing it would lead to legal challenges.

Four organisations under the banner of the Landbouw Alliantie (“Agricultural Alliance”) called for the cabinet to adopt its more limited programme of reforms as a basis for negotiations.

The farmers want the Netherlands to implement a German-style system with exclusion zones of 250m around protected nature areas rather than 500m or 1,000m, so that fewer farmers would have to reduce their cattle herds.

But Van Essen said the plans were not a realistic route out of the crisis. “The Netherlands will not end the impasse by weakening measures in places where nature needs it most and at the same time relaxing the rules for permits.”

He said the package of measures announced by the government in June remained “the basis” for discussions with the agriculture sector. The left-wing opposition party Pro, whose support is key to passing the legislation, has also warned that the plan “must not be weakened”.

“Paper problem”

Sieta van Keimpema, of the Dutch Dairy Board (DDB), one of four organisations that make up the Landbouw Alliantie, said the government should rewrite the rules to allow more generous limits, as in Germany. “It is a paper problem, so we should be able to come up with a paper solution,” she said.

But farmers also face the prospect of legal challenges from environmental groups such as Mobilisation for the Environment, which has raised cases in 10 provinces against 130 farms that have breached nitrogen deposition limits.

Van Essen’s plans aim to reduce nitrogen compound emissions from farming by up to 46% and by 50% for other high-polluting sectors such as heavy industry and transport.

The most vulnerable conservation zones will be protected by 1km exclusion zones, where farmers will have to abide by strict pollution limits, while another 85 nature areas will be surrounded by 500m zones.

The reforms were triggered by a Council of State ruling in 2019 that struck down the system for issuing nature permits for large construction projects such as roads, suburbs and extensions to farms.

Until then permits were issued if applicants could show that the nitrogen generated during construction would be offset by efficiencies made by the finished project. But the Council of State said nitrogen limits had to be adhered to during building work as well.