News Nitrogen
Overijssel wants to continue 'unachievable' nitrogen plans
The province of Overijssel, like the other provinces in BIJ12, believes that the current nitrogen and nature measures are insufficient to implement the government plans for the rural area. She therefore wants more, but also notes that it is not possible to achieve 50% less deposition on sensitive nature with regional (emission) measures.
The observations be done by Commissioner of the King Andries Heidema (ChristenUnie) in a piece for the Provincial Council.
Further steps required
According to him, recent court rulings are making it increasingly clear that the Nitrogen Reduction and Nature Improvement Act (Wsn) and the package of source and nitrogen measures from the government from April 2020 are insufficient to achieve the set targets. The new cabinet must therefore take further steps, together with the provinces, he notes. According to Heidema, agreements have already been made about this.
WUR already at work
The King's Commissioner argues that an integrated approach is needed, in which tasks from the Birds and Habitats Directives and the Water Framework Directive are also combined. He does not clarify exactly how this should fit together. It is clear to him, however, that the line that has been taken must be strengthened, with zoning and the purchase of farms. Overijssel has therefore already commissioned Wageningen UR to draw up and calculate a number of scenarios.
Overijssel has so far been promised €87 million by the government for measures related to, in particular, the Wierdense Veld and the Engbertsdijksvenen.
External netting is running, but not fast
In order to 'move' nitrogen emissions, Overijssel allows external netting. That instrument doesn't seem very popular yet. According to the province, a total of 2021 applications were pending at the end of 37, twelve of which relate to the purchase of allowances by larger and medium-sized (non-agricultural) companies. It is not known how many emission allowances are involved.
Goals unachievable
Overijssel has promised in October 2020 to map out what is needed to bring the nitrogen deposition on at least half of all hectares below the critical deposition value (KDW). Further analysis has shown the province, Heidema writes, that this goal cannot be achieved with measures in sub-areas alone. Too much of the deposition comes from outside the province. For this reason, the province no longer wishes to use the KDW as an end in itself and to focus more on conservation objectives for vulnerable areas.
Klaas van der Horst
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