House of Representatives makes mincemeat of NVWA

The House of Representatives is very keen on the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) and the role it played in the fipronil crisis. This is apparent from the emergency debate on Thursday 24 August with Minister Schippers (of Public Health) and State Secretary Martijn van Dam (of Economic Affairs). 

The House is unanimously very critical of the role of the NVWA in the fipronil crisis† The House of Representatives wonders aloud whether the NVWA's failure is due to a lack of money, insufficient capacity or limited knowledge to properly perform their work. In addition, the House wants clarity about the NVWA's approach and whether a different working method is required damage could have been prevented† Only 50PLUS and SGP explicitly ask for financial support for the poultry farmers.

Clearing more chickens than necessary?
Rik Grashoff of Groen Links was the first to speak. He wonders whether the government is prepared to cull more chickens than is actually necessary, so that much animal suffering can be prevented. "Poultry farmers have their own responsibility and it cannot be the case that if the regulator fails, everything is allowed."

Futselaar (SP) then spoke: "The NVWA has failed by the notification in November 2016 to ignore. So she made an incorrect judgment about the risk of fipronil and now it appears that the moderately toxic substance amitraz has also been found."

Jaco Geurts (CDA): "The NVWA had sharper and more direct communicate to consumers about the effects of fipronil. Van Dam and Schippers show no self-reflection in their reactions. How could the industry have known about the use of fipronil by Chickfriend† The affected poultry farms must return to operation as soon as possible."

Esther Ouwehand (PvdD) is very critical of the sector's self-monitoring. "What about the sector's self-monitoring? Apparently the sector cannot do this at all." She blames the failing supervision on previous cabinets that have made cutbacks at the NVWA.

Sazias (50PLUS) is the only one advocating direct financial support for poultry farmers. "The NVWA should fall under the supervision of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. A government that wants to allow so much to the free market must provide a strong watchdog. the Belgians be the first with news. The poultry sector must be rehabilitated, as is happening in Belgium. LTO also asks for compensation. The poultry companies have fallen victim to bad behavior by the government and therefore the question is how can we get the poultry sector above Jan as quickly as possible."

Dik-Faber (CU) makes the sound of the poultry farmers heard. "Do the ministers understand the despair of the affected poultry farmers? Was the NVWA not much too premature with their statements? Many poultry farmers are at a loss. Does the information from the NVWA not come much too late?" She asks for an investigation to the expensive collection contributions that affected poultry farmers have to pay to dispose of their manure. They pay 4 times as much. Dik-Faber wonders whether this is possible under the competition rules. 

Lodders (VVD): "There is no discussion about the standard. The interpretation of the standard is different. Explicitly investigate why the NVWA has not acted adequately. The crisis is not over. What else will come up?"

Hiddema (FvD) wants to know what debt the poultry farmers themselves have in this crisis. On that basis, he wants to know what is possible in terms of financial support. 

Bishop (SGP) wonders whether the standards are good. Is there not a very strict standard applied? "Why couldn't the NVWA act faster in July? Chickfriend had the administration in order, so it was easy to deduce on which companies the drug had been used." He also pleads for compensation within the state aid rules the poultry farmers.

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