Background Nitrogen mood
Lots of new nitrogen input, but also old content
If it had been up to several opposition parties, a final ritual dance would have been performed this week on the grave of the Schoof cabinet they loathed. Ultimately, some kind of common sense prevailed, because what is the alternative given the situation?
The Schoof cabinet in its third incarnation must continue governing for the time being, draw up a budget, and possibly continue addressing non-controversial issues. The most important of these is the nitrogen issue.
Back at PAS?
Caretaker Minister of LVVN, Femke Wiersma, seems to want to speed things up. To this end, she has an internet consultation opened The General Administrative Order (AMvB) allows for permit-free activities. The core of the proposal is that parties that want to permanently reduce their nitrogen emissions by at least 30% may temporarily and permit-free emit slightly more to achieve that target. They will not lose their existing permits. The plan sounds appealing, but wasn't something very similar the stumbling block for the PAS legislation? Hopefully, it's not just a political gimmick.
Escape attempt is
Less appealing is a proposal from the minister to avoid her usual obligations to PAS reporters. In an amendment to the Environment Act, she proposes replacing the legalization requirement for the state with the additional authorization of alternatives, and allowing more time for this. SGP Member of Parliament André Flach (see photo above this article) wants to stop this attempt by the state with an amendment.
Holman's Egg
Besides Flach, there's another member of Parliament who wants to correct the minister. This is NSC MP Harm Holman. He hopes to launch his private member's bill for land-based agriculture (dairy farming) just before the elections and give it the necessary momentum. The chance of him shepherding that bill through the House of Representatives is virtually impossible, as Holman isn't expected back in the House after October 29th. He can lay an egg, but not hatch it. It's possible that the GroenLinks-PvdA parties will try to push the bill further.
Media attacks Wiersma
The minister was in the news more broadly this week because a second review of the Schoof Commission's (MCEN Commission) plans to amend nitrogen policy. According to Wiersma, who is the primary contact person for this, the review actually had a relatively positive outcome for her and the cabinet. However, upon reading the documents prepared by a consortium led by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), the situation turned out to be somewhat more nuanced and less positive. Predictably, she was savaged by the national media.
PBL uses defective basic material
In the minister's defense, it must be said that the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) bases its assessment of the plans, among other things, on the nature target analyses conducted under the previous government, documents that are widely considered flawed but are nevertheless considered policy-related. It is troubling for the government, however, that the PBL and its associates are also stoking the fire with the target management envisioned for emission reduction in livestock farming.
Danger of policy failure
The PBL (Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency) notes that, particularly in the livestock sector, no proper substantiation has been provided for this, and improvement is difficult. This is likely to be the case unless, to put it loosely, suction is installed at the front and back of cows. Therefore, the report states that there is a significant risk of policy failure.
Beware of empty concepts
So, parties that focus on target-based management to reduce livestock emissions in their election manifestos should be warned: don't fall for fancy buzzwords and terms whose consequences are unclear. Another such term that can have any desired meaning, and therefore no meaning, is "guaranteed emissions."
This week also saw the closing of the submissions for the internet consultation 8e Nitrate Action Program. The minister and her officials can choose from more than seventy submissions: short and fairly general ones from anonymous individuals, and long, broadly motivated ones from various interest groups and action groups.
Arguing in the wrong place
It's unfortunate for agriculture that various agricultural sectors are submitting highly inconsistent submissions, thus missing out on a better outcome for everyone in agriculture. According to well-informed sources, a dispute even broke out between representatives of various sectors during an initial meeting this week with officials from the LVVN. Fortunately for them, this was behind closed doors. Only the officials were able to witness the incident.
Klaas van der Horst
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