Background Nitrogen Mood
Ruttian brain teasers about nitrogen during Easter
The advantage of many problems at the same time is that some are always pushed into the background by others, even more urgent. Something similar seemed to be going on in political The Hague this week. There is also the big problem of a faltering cabinet, but that is being denied. In our weekly section Nitrogen Mood, we give an impression of the nitrogen crisis in our own way.
Due to the debate in the House of Representatives about the results of the provincial elections (and the future of nitrogen policy, and the sustainability of the coalition), it was as if everyone had suddenly forgotten what was also urgent the week before. Like it letter from Virginia to nitrogen minister Christianne van der Wal about Dutch nitrogen policy.
From intriguer to victim
This week's current events abruptly removed Van der Wal from the spotlight. She was mentioned in the above-mentioned full-day debate, but this time mainly by the left-wing opposition and then mainly as a helpless victim of all kinds of political intrigues. While last week she still seemed like an intriguer.
Whether the VVD should be happy that Van der Wal received more support this week from GroenLinks, PvdA, SP and the Party for the Animals than from the CDA and almost certainly also from a large part of its own supporters, is yet another question. something else.
Ruttian brainteasers
Prime Minister Rutte is convinced of all developments that more needs to be done, that it must be accelerated and that results must be achieved. At least he tries to give the impression that this is the case. Yet the prime minister remains inimitable, because he also wants to wait before taking decisions, especially about nitrogen, and even denies that there are problems in the cabinet, let alone a crisis. During the press conference after the weekly cabinet meeting, he presented another mind-bending gem: "There is an impasse about whether there is an impasse."
Fortunately, Rutte did not have to say too much more on Good Friday. A seat was reserved for him in the Grote Kerk in Naarden, where the St Matthew Passion is performed. Perhaps such a moment will help him out of the confusing realities of The Hague.
A growing number of people in The Hague, and also a former minister such as Ronald Plasterk, argue that the cabinet has in fact already fallen. The prime minister therefore contradicts that, but in his current condition Rutte gives the impression that he will continue to do so while he is being carried out of the turret.
Tension about 'cut-off limit'
Reflection or not, there will still be plenty of material to sink your teeth into after Easter. For example, this week there was an interim ruling by the Council of State on the so-called 25 kilometer cut-off limit for nitrogen emissions. This case was initiated by MOB and a whole bundle of like-minded clubs. They believe that nitrogen emissions from individual sources (companies) and from traffic should also be held responsible for precipitation on nature beyond 25 kilometers from the source. The government sees it differently. Many stakeholders had already braced themselves for a disappointing ruling for the cabinet. That is why MOB has already won so many nitrogen cases.
MOB suddenly bites the dust
This time it turned out differently, also to MOB's surprise. He almost immediately emphasized that it was only an interim ruling and that the Council of State had not acted at all in accordance with the most recent insights. As far as the first is concerned, MOB is formally right, but the Council of State also says that it wants to base its final judgment on what has now been said about the emissions. The second part of the ruling deals mainly with other issues.
Windfall or setback?
The windfall for the cabinet (and implicitly also for the business community) does not mean that it can rest easy, because according to other lawyers the ruling of the Council of State ignores European legislation in this area and even partly contradicts it. According to them, the ruling also imposes restrictions on the applicability of Aerius and this could cause additional problems for Minister Van der Wal in identifying peak loaders, a matter that is already a hot potato for the minister. That PAS reporters would have been immediately helped by the ruling seems to be a misunderstanding. A group of Groningen PAS reporters escaped the dance anyway. Furthermore, the ruling would make it more difficult to withdraw granted permits and also make Aerius useless for drawing up area programs, which should be ready before 1 July. This is due to new legal questions about individual taxation and background filing.
Fight around the table continues
Then the pulling and pushing around the agricultural tables continued this week. It is not always clear who is still involved, but there are constant threats of resignation, refusal to sign and the like. Previously it was mainly Agractie that did this, now it is LTO Nederland. Chairman Sjaak van der Tak now really wants to see something arranged for the PAS reporters, he says.
Although there are numerous parties around the table for a major agricultural agreement, more participation is not welcome. At least that is what the agricultural organizations already present think. They therefore reacted rather displeased when the Stikstofclaim Foundation (SSC) started an action whereby individual farmers could indicate whether or not they feel represented at Minister Piet Adema's table. At least this is what the chairman of SSC says. It is not known how many farmers have made their voices heard at the moment, but as of Thursday morning (after a day and a half) more than 300 letters had already been received by the secretariat of the agricultural table, a spokesman said.
Klaas van der Horst
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