News Nitrogen mood
Nitrogen sales do not wait for cabinet
Schiphol Group appears to have already spent €16 million on buying up farms and nitrogen space. The nitrogen minister does not think nitrogen shopping is desirable either, but does not seem to be in a hurry to tackle it. Meanwhile, ministries and companies are making their move in the nitrogen sale, while PAS detectors are left out in the cold.
"Terrible", Minister for Nature and Nitrogen Christianne van der Wal (VVD) thinks of the situation of the PAS reporters, she made clear on Wednesday 7 December during an emotional speech during the second part of the parliamentary debate on the budget of LNV. "From the peak loader approach, we really only put PAS detectors at one," she also said.
Crocodile tears
"Crocodile tears", Caroline van der Plas (BBB) called it. Several MPs criticized the fact that while the PAS detectors are not (or cannot be) legalized, Schiphol, among others, of which the Ministry of Finance is the largest shareholder, is buying up nitrogen space. Something that was still denied by Minister Van der Wal in November, but has since been confirmed on all sides.
Action group Schipholwatch points out that the management of the airport also agrees with the purchase a promise breaks. Last December director Carsouw promised farmers not to buy any rights.
As long as NOx and NH3 can be exchanged and there are no restrictions on the purchase of farms, such as by Rijkswaterstaat for the widening of the A27 and by Schiphol Group for the opening of Lelystad Airport, it is likely that more farms for large polluting practices are (will be) bought up. This may also be more lucrative for farmers than waiting for Van der Wal's 'wildly attractive' purchase scheme, especially if milk prices start to fall. Private buyers actually always have an advantage over the state. Purchasing nitrogen space in the same way for PAS detectors is not possible due to state aid rules.
Last month, the House passed a motion about exchanging NH3 (ammonia) and NOx (nitrogen oxides) for external net metering (which Remkes also insisted on) and to make nitrogen space transparently available from now on via a nitrogen bank. Yesterday, Pieter Grinwis (ChristenUnie) asked 'in any case to better guard against one sector becoming the energy supplier for all kinds of other sectors, in this case agriculture for Schiphol or Rijkswaterstaat'. As far as he is concerned, external netting is temporarily put on hold.
Better game rules
"We also have to manage external netting and focus on better rules between governments," Van der Wal responded in agreement. "This concerns the regional authorities, the provinces, the right of first purchase, the fact that we want a permit requirement for internal net metering and that we want to update it. We are taking full control here and that is really necessary." But at the same time she points out 'that we ask parties to mitigate within the framework of a Wm permit and that this can also be done amicably'. In other words: according to the law it is allowed. Van der Wal also indicated in November that the state still needs at least six months to create barriers between ammonia and nitrogen oxides.
According to Van der Wal, directing the emission transactions is also 'a complicated dilemma' and has the attention of the cabinet. If the government chews on this complicated dilemma long enough, companies, including those in which the government has shares, project developers and anyone else can complete their nitrogen purchases. They have enough space for half a year. In the meantime, nature is not getting any better and the chance that there will still be room to permit PAS detectors is getting smaller and smaller.
Linda van Eekeres
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