News Nitrogen approach
'Peak loader who does not stop must make a plan'
"Speed also means precision, otherwise you will be in a state of uncertainty for months," Minister for Nature and Nitrogen Christianne van der Wal countered. Boerenbusiness the criticism that the cabinet has launched the approach to peak loaders, while not all regulations have yet been fully worked out. Van der Wal wants to remove the impression that it is only about stopping.
"We ask the 3.000 peak taxers who do not want to stop to draw up a business plan that must be approved by the province. There is also months to make that. And there will also be a period when all schemes will be open at the same time," said the minister .
According to Van der Wal, the fact that the cabinet is currently only offering the option to stop, as Agractie indicates in a response, is 'not true'. In addition to stopping, there are also the flavours: extensify, innovate and move or a combination thereof. "We already know a lot, we have a menu with all the dishes. We know all about innovation, extensification and switching, ditto, there is already a conversion fund."
Relocation scheme in Brussels
The only thing that is still unclear, according to the minister, is about moving. "You have to create space for that. I'm betting on that, also directly via a land bank." The relocation scheme also requires a state aid assessment by the European Commission. There are two options when relocating: breaking down a company and rebuilding it elsewhere or taking over an existing company. The commitment is a reimbursement of up to 100% of the actual costs incurred. The intention is to publish the scheme before the end of this year, although the ministry also thinks that is a bit ambitious.
Well 3.001 peak loaders, no list
"There is no list of peak loaders", Van der Wal said again today (June 12) during the press conference on the occasion of the launch of the peak loader approach. "We don't have lists with: these are the entrepreneurs. If we have learned anything from 'the card', it is that entrepreneurs want clarity on the one hand, but that can also cause a lot of unrest. Then I don't want entrepreneurs to get that stamp: peak loader. I had the RIVM calculate how many entrepreneurs it concerns, but I don't want to know who they are."
According to her, even by filling in the calculation tool on the website that went live today, you will not end up on a list of peak taxers (a fear of, among others, the NVP poultry organisation). "We do nothing with your data, nothing is stored." However, more has become known today about who is a peak loader: a company that causes more than 2500 mol nitrogen deposition per year on overloaded nitrogen-sensitive nature within 25 kilometers (the cut-off limit).
The RIVM has calculated how many there should be: 3.001 to be precise. 60% of these are located in Gelderland: 1.803 companies. Followed at a distance by North Brabant, Limburg, Drenthe and Overijssel with 265, 262, 189 and 185 peak loads respectively. Utrecht has 100 peak loaders, Friesland 92, Flevoland: 57, North Holland 30. Zeeland and South Holland both have only 4. Groningen has no peak loaders at all. According to LNV, you will know within 10 minutes to half an hour whether you are a peak loader.
Lot peak loader
According to LNV, the fact that someone now qualifies as a peak loader is not a basis for being confronted with 'mandatory instruments'. Van der Wal is still working out what will happen if the voluntary approach is not effective enough. This includes, among other things, the study into standards and pricing that the government commissioned in 2021. Standardizing nitrogen emissions means enforcing emission reduction through legislation and regulations, and pricing emissions means that (part of) the costs of the damage caused are charged (as an incentive to reduce emissions). Van der Wal will provide more information on this subject around the summer.
Care about shelf life innovations
The path of innovation is based on emission reduction according to the RAV lists. In recent years, several innovative housing systems have failed to deliver what they promised. Van der Wal: "That's where my biggest concern lies, that the weather turns out to be unsustainable." Why then was it decided to work with the innovations on the Rav list? "If we want to exclude any risk, then I know one thing for sure: we will never get a movement going." She does warn: "You won't make it with innovation alone."
The current arrangements are therefore completely voluntary. According to the minister, the only stick behind the door at the moment is that the LBV+ (the scheme whereby 120% is reimbursed) will never come back. The LBV (100% reimbursement) is, but always for a lower percentage. Based on previous regulations, LNV assumes an interest of 20%. If there is more interest, Van der Wal will be 'at Finance very soon'. But 'it would be very good if we manage to get to 20%', she says. The reinvestment reserve is considered for the tax settlement of the squeeze-out arrangement. There is a proposal to expand it. A letter from Finance will be sent to this effect before the summer. There will also be a letter from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy before the summer about how to deal with the (smaller) portion of industrial companies that are subject to peak loads.
LBV+ mainly Gelderland, LBV spread
The LBV+ is only open to peak loaders, so Gelderland in particular will be overrepresented. The LBV is aimed at distribution across the entire country and therefore has a different threshold value for each Natura 2000 area. Around every congested Natura 2000 area, at most around 10% of dairy, pig and poultry farmers are eligible for the LBV, 8.000 locations in total. €500 million has been reserved for the LVB. For the LBV+ €900 million.
The minister is satisfied with the approach 'when I notice that everyone in the sector is starting to think about this'.
Linda van Eekeres
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