Background Nitrogen mood
Prime Minister Jetten also appears to be the Minister of Nitrogen
During the General Debate in the House of Representatives this week, it emerged that one portfolio hadn't yet been named at the swearing-in of the new cabinet earlier this week: that of the Minister of Nitrogen. In the Rutte-4 cabinet, it was immediately clear who had the portfolio: Christianne van der Wal. In the Schoof cabinet, half the cabinet was involved, but no one knew exactly who was truly in charge. In the Jetten cabinet, the Prime Minister said he would personally handle it.
You could say: Jetten doesn't want to leave matters to a relatively junior minister like Minister of Agriculture Jaimi van Essen, who seemed the natural candidate. You could also say: it's good that the Prime Minister is taking matters into his own hands, because he stands above the interests of the various parties and must make a broad assessment.
Conciliatory language
For the agriculture and food sectors, it's to be hoped that he doesn't get too caught up in his own party's agenda. Members of Parliament from various parties hoped to gain more clarity on this during the debate on the government statement, but Jetten refused to be provoked. He did, however, attempt to speak conciliatory language toward the agricultural sector.
Trump and Jetten's surroundings not so different
As an economically important sector, agriculture is unfortunately not highly regarded in The Hague. The world of big business, multinationals, and "big tech" is much more easily listened to and comes much closer. sexier Over, so to speak. Even though those interests often involve much promise and little lasting action. In that respect, the differences between the environment of, for example, President Trump and that of the Dutch prime minister are less pronounced than often appears.
ASML's darling
And consider ASML, the political pet project. It's indeed a global company to be proud of, but what net benefit does it bring to the Netherlands? Over the past ten years, it has received almost as much in subsidies as the Dutch primary agricultural sector received from Brussels. Thanks in part to this, the company is achieving excellent results. But how much of that remains for the Netherlands itself, and how many Dutch residents are left with jobs? That is the question. The high-tech company primarily attracts many expensive expats, who will be gone again when the ASML bubble eventually collapses, as happened not so long ago with Nokia in Finland. Then it's time to restructure and clear the rubble.
Sober Swedes
It's great that a company like ASML is flourishing, and hopefully it will help the Netherlands move forward for the long term. But agriculture will provide much more employment, food production, and perhaps even more structural and higher tax revenues in the long run.
In a country like Sweden, issues like food security carry much more weight when weighing the agricultural interests there. This was clearly evident this week in a press release from dairy giant Arla, that a factory is going to be modernized and expanded there. Perhaps the fact that an angry neighbor lives nearby plays a greater role.
From honeymoon to manure
Minister of Agriculture Van Essen also had to spend a significant portion of his time in the K-section this week, but in between, he also enjoyed a bit of a honeymoon at the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LVVN): a brief introduction to the department, a few working visits here and there. So far, nothing too heavy.
This can't last long, however. There's a lot of work to be done, especially regarding the manure issue. He received a letter from the Nitrogen Claim Foundation (SSC) almost immediately, urgently requesting an explanation regarding the NV areas (nutrient-contaminated areas). These were still valid under the terms of the now-expired derogation, but the ministry hasn't yet removed them from the map. Is this justified, the SSC wonders? Van Essen must definitely get started on the new Nitrate Action Program and, for example, also decide what to do with the expected excess phosphate production.
Hesitation and fatigue
Several advocacy groups are already seeing the storm brewing in this regard. Will the minister soon propose generic interventions, area-specific restrictions, and can anything be done to steer them? The sector is showing little urgency to come up with its own ideas. Or perhaps they can't agree on that after all. Maintaining a common line remains difficult. Moreover, a party like the NAJK (Dutch Youth Youth Association) seems to want to withdraw from the consultation altogether. Is the organization tired of advocacy? Can it do without the young farmers?
Secret interest game
The land-based housing dossier also needs to be finalized. While the NAJK played a significant role in this, the public was not supposed to know about it, as evidenced by minutes sent to this writer. The NAJK colluded with former NSC MP Harm Holman during the launch of his bill, but did so in strict confidence. This was advocacy without even the ordinary members knowing about it.
Product shelf fever
The fact is, of course, that some advocacy will be conducted differently in the not-too-distant future. Now that the government wants to reinstate product boards, some advocacy can take place through them. Agricultural organizations will then be allowed to develop some of the regulations themselves. This transition will have a significant impact. Not all members of the agricultural governing body were prepared for it. The organization ZuivelNL was even taken by surprise. She stated at the recent New Year's gathering that a product board wasn't necessary. This surprised others and is currently the subject of heated debate. Seizing the opportunities presented by politicians and making our own rules again—who wouldn't want that?
The road to Brussels
The arrival of the new cabinet has sparked a lot of discussion. There are mainly concerns, but perhaps things could improve in some areas. Hopefully, Van Essen will maintain better contact with the European Commission than his predecessor, Wiersma. a new WOO piece It turns out she barely visited Brussels to discuss major issues like fertilizer, derogations, and others. Her officials and State Secretary Jean Rummenie did the work, which gives a different impression. The State Secretary, however, did his best, also involved himself in the minister's files, and came up with creative proposals.
Unfortunately for him, Environment Commissioner Roswall wasn't so impressed. She revealed herself to be a bureaucratic thinker who prefers to fit all member states into the same mold. Unfortunately, that does fit the image of the average European Commissioner. While they're usually former politicians, in practice they often operate as super-bureaucrats.
Klaas van der Horst
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