Background Nitrogen mood
Cattle prod gate and derogation concerns
With almost all attention focused on forming a new government, it's almost forgotten that the caretaker cabinet still has work to do. Last week, Minister of Agriculture Femke Wiersma even had to justify why she didn't rush to ban cattle prods.
Perhaps there are more pressing issues for a minister to worry about, you might think, but not for the Party for the Animals. Party leader Esther Ouwehand even felt it necessary to serve Wiersma with a motion of censure, because Wiersma was allegedly so lax in handling the matter. And, coincidentally or not, on December 5th, a genuine advisory opinion from the Council of State was issued on the upcoming ban. It is scheduled to take effect on January 1st, and the fact that it took so long wasn't solely Wiersma's fault. The matter had been pending since 2021. As far as her party colleague Caroline van der Plas is concerned, it could have been left there a bit longer.
More consultation with Roswall
Another item on Wiersma's agenda is the derogation. This still needs to be decided, even though the Financial Times believed the Netherlands will no longer receive it. The Brussels Nitrate Committee will meet again next week. Officially, the Dutch application is not on the agenda, but the Irish application and Renure are, but that's no guarantee in Brussels that the matter won't be discussed. According to well-informed sources, it would be best if there were no official discussion of the Dutch request, as not much solid political work has yet been done between Wiersma and European Commissioner Jessica Roswall.
Stricter standard or less grass?
In addition, the trade association wants DairyNL I'd still like to make some adjustments to the substantiation. Specifically, this concerns an amendment to the current Implementing Regulation for the Fertilizers Act. It significantly tightens the application standards for grassland on sand, despite the advice of the Committee of Experts on the Fertilizers Act (CDM). ZuivelNL, along with many other organizations, predicts that this will have the opposite effect, as livestock farmers will likely convert more grassland to maize, resulting in increased nitrate leaching. Even the sustainable Luis Bolk Institute agrees. But it's possible that LVVN officials prefer to show Brussels a bit of symbolic politics.
Utrecht is eyeing essential plots of land
Making politically opportune gestures is not uncommon. Last week we already described how Utrecht Provincial Executive Mirjam Sterk was eager to show some decisiveness. Not only did she proudly present a Utrecht Rural Area Programme (UPLG)At the same time, she also sent a letter notifying a number of farmers of their expropriation. According to initial reports, thirteen farmers would have to relinquish all or part of their holdings because, according to the letter, "essential parcels" were located on their land. It now appears that more farms are affected, with 664 hectares of land (of which 457 hectares are said to be new), excluding buffer zones. The province of Utrecht has not yet provided any further details, other than some vague maps.
It appears the provincial executive has somewhat overreached itself with the notification method, as no legally valid decisions have been made yet and she must await approval from the Provincial Council. Furthermore, judging by the documents, the substantiation of the plans contains errors and lacks justifications for requiring on-site designation. There is only a general reference to "ecological insights." Nitrogen Claim Foundation The Dutch Federation of Agriculture and Horticulture (LTO Nederland) has now held initial consultations with some farmers. LTO Nederland reacted with "stunned" reaction.
From airy to printed
In The Hague, the lighthearted atmosphere surrounding the formation of new coalitions between the CDA and D66 parties last week seems to have somewhat changed. Henri Bontenbal, who had then announced he was going to spend an afternoon wrestling with his counterpart Rob Jetten, this week brought a smile to their faces. They had been very pleasant together, speaking to various interest groups, and even... a sturdy piece The bill has been drawn up, but with fewer than 50 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives, you're not getting very far, as informant Sybrand Buma also noted. He has no prospects yet of a majority coalition, nor of a minority government with sufficient support to achieve anything. So, the car is stalled again, but there's already a workbench to be done.
Nitrogen dreams
The provisions in this document could provide some flexibility for agriculture, such as a different approach to several nitrogen calculation factors. However, it also addresses matters recently explicitly prohibited by the highest court in the Netherlands, such as the return of internal and external netting. It's also possible that this reflects intentions and dreams—as is often the case in politics—rather than potential. Many farmers will be more proactive in their concerns about plans to refill the fund with funds for rural redevelopment and to buy up land on a large scale.
Impatient people
According to D66 leader Rob Jetten, whose party still holds the lead in forming a new government, it will initially be another weekend of frequent phone calls and discussions, as there's no simple answer to the question of how to proceed. The accompanying chorus of rumours surrounding a formation, such as speculation about who will get which ministerial post, could also be a bit more muted. Tjeerd de Groot, who has gone into exile in Wageningen since leaving the House of Representatives, has already been hailed by fans as the future Minister of Agriculture. The fact that he wrote a book at the time with the resounding title "Politics Is Not for the Frightened" (and Tjeerd Is Not Frightened) undoubtedly contributed to this. A few CDA provincial councillors are also reportedly growing impatient. Unfortunately, it's still a while away. The caretaker rump cabinet is here to stay.
Klaas van der Horst
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