Agriculture Minister Christianne van der Wal remains of the opinion that external netting is useful to enable nature permits. The fact that the province of Overijssel and the province of Flevoland are not currently using this instrument is only to strengthen the substantiation.
Van der Wal wrote the above in response to questions from Member of Parliament Dirk Jan Eppink (Ja21). According to the minister, external netting is a crucial means of a number of construction projects to allow it to continue. Van der Wal also reports that she is having a more extensive nitrogen effect monitoring set up. At present, the effect on nature reserves is only measured by data from the national flora monitoring network. More extensive monitoring reports will have to be drawn up in the coming years, which will require more data on various 'pressure factors', such as nitrogen.
Specific nitrogen data not needed in Brussels
The minister acknowledges that the Netherlands currently does not have any specific data available on the nitrogen-sensitive part of the Natura 2000 areas, but she does not think that these are necessary either. In 2026 (every six years) a report must be submitted in Brussels on the conservation status of habitat types and species in the nature reserves. An assessment of the habitat as a whole is important.
A judgment is then made on a combination of pressure factors. A separate assessment of the nitrogen component is not necessary for this, the Minister of Agriculture writes. The minister does indicate, however, that the monitoring is being further developed and that additional nitrogen data may still be required.