European Commissioner critically about return more flexible manure rules for Dutch farmers

European Commissioner Jessika Roswall of Milieu critically commented on the reintroduction of smoother manure rules (derogation) in the Netherlands on Thursday evening, such as agricultural minister Femke Wiersma (BBB) ​​Wil. « I don’t think it is sustainable to always build on the derogation, » said Roswall during a conversation with a room committee.

According to the Swedish Roswall, the European Commission has been « very flexible » for a long time with the exception for Dutch farmers to be allowed to get out more manure than in many other EU member states. If the Dutch cabinet again wants more manure space, it must first work on nature restoration, the European Commissioner said. « And we have not seen that so far, » she said. « You have to deliver something. »

‘Put everything on’

In the Outline agreement From PVV, VVD, NSC and BBB it states that the right -wing coalition wants to do everything in its power to « reverse the reduction of current derogation and to achieve better and workable standards and agreements with the EU ». At the beginning of this year, Minister Wiersma (BBB) ​​announced the Chamber that she would like to submit a new request to the European Commission this summer.

Since 2006, Dutch farmers have been allowed to get out more manure than farmers elsewhere in the EU, because the grassland is growing in a moderate climate for a long time and can absorb a lot of nitrogen. With the exemption, farmers with more than 80 percent grassland to 250 kilos of nitrogen from animal manure were allowed to fertilize per hectare per year, while the European standard is 170 kilos. But because the vulnerable nature in the Netherlands is too heavily burdened, this relaxation is turned back in steps by Brussels until 2026.

In the committee meeting, Roswall said on Thursday to believe in ‘dialogue’ with EU member states, but that a sustainable future requires sustainable solutions. The Netherlands must come up with a solution for the manure problem, the European Commission can play a supporting role, the European Commissioner emphasized.

Nitrogen approach

At the beginning of this year, the Cabinet set up the Ministerial Committee Economy and Nature Recovery to tackle the nitrogen problem. To combat the manure crisis, there are also voluntary buy -out schemes for farmers, and, for example, livestock farms have to shrink if they are resold.

Roswall’s visit to the Netherlands fits in with a series of visits of new or re-elected European Commissioners to EU member states since last year’s European elections. Earlier in the day, Roswall spoke in private with nitrogen minister Wiersma and State Secretary for Public Transport and the Environment Chris Jansen (PVV).

Last month, for example, the Luxembourg European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen also visited the House of Representatives. Hansen regularly provides critical of the livestock in the European Union due to the importance of independent food production, partly due to geopolitical instability.

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