Background Nitrogen mood
Minister of Long-awaited Agricultural Agreement
The Agricultural Agreement that Minister Piet Adema, and in the background almost the entire cabinet, is pursuing, is starting to take on almost mythical proportions after almost eight months of efforts. The minister puts almost everything aside for it, because he works full working weeks on it, even if there are no official negotiations.
All his other pursuits are overshadowed by it. He even neglects the European Councils for it, and neglects contacts with the European Commission, although he initially said he wanted to do things differently. Adema has prepared herself to go down in history as 'Minister of Long-awaited Agricultural Agreements'.
Please 'on the ball'
The final of the process promises to be very exciting, because although Adema still has a chance of success, the LTO top wants to stay on the ball and avoid legislation – whatever it means. Yet there is a large group of dairy farmers who see absolutely nothing in an agreement. Most of them are dairy farmers on sand. A meeting is planned in East Brabant for this group in particular next week.
Last chance
Their category of companies, about 3.000 companies, is in danger of going under if an agreement is reached along the lines currently being discussed, they have calculated. So it's make or break for them, and if they still want to raise their hand, they should do so now. LTO Netherlands has therefore delegated its dairy farm foreman to gauge the temperature of the water and also provide an explanation, but whether he will also come up with figures is the question.
Officially, only LTO and the NAJK are still in talks with the ministry, but informal reports indicate that other 'audiences' are also being tolerated. This strengthens the position of the willing.
Crafty rustled
If an Agricultural Agreement were to fail, it has become somewhat easier for the cabinet since this week than first thought to come up with legislation and get it passed. This is because BBB received two fewer seats in the Senate than originally assumed. That is the result of shrewd rustling and bargaining by the other parties. BBB did not want to participate in this game and is paying a price for it. On the other hand, this puts more pressure on the CDA and VVD in the senate in particular. In principle, however, Prime Minister Rutte can continue a series of nitrogen-related plans 'over the left'.
How the political game will be played in the provinces themselves is still largely unclear. BBB has been sidelined in Utrecht, while negotiations on new administrative agreements are still in full swing in the other provinces.
Legally mandated food waste
Finally, a few observations about Adema's absence from Brussels, three times in a row. With this behavior he certainly does not serve Dutch interests. Unless it's part of the tactics, but that seems too ill-conceived. There are a few things that need to be addressed firmly there, such as the harvest ban after October 1, invented by unworldly lawyers. Adema can take an example of this Flemish colleague Zuhal Demir, who at least still seems to have some sense of reality in this area. Just to combat massive food waste, a harvest ban per calendar date is a bizarre solution and completely messy in terms of nutrient utilization. It may well be that the Brussels bureaucrats don't think about it for long, but every bit of resistance to this kind of action is all the more meaningful.
Klaas van der Horst
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