ZLTO takes North Brabant to court

Advocate ZLTO is suing the province of North Brabant. It does this in collaboration with a number of farmers. ZLTO is of the opinion that the provincial Nature Protection Regulation, which has serious consequences for Brabant livestock farmers, should be dropped. The organization announced this in a press release.

With the summons will the advocate are committed to the Brabant livestock farmers. "The new environmental policy is unachievable, unfair and unaffordable. It also conflicts with the agreements made earlier with social partners and the scheme produces hardly any environmental benefits," ZLTO writes in a press release.

Due to the new provincial Nature Protection Regulation, livestock farmers have to considerably renovate their stables to meet the latest requirements. "We believe that livestock farmers should commit themselves to environmental gain. However, the way in which this is happening now is unfeasible," said ZLTO.

Family businesses in trouble
According to ZLTO, it is financially unfeasible to adapt the stables. "The farmers who complied with the rules years ago have made that investment for years. It is impossible to adapt those stables in the meantime and does not fit with the investment rhythm." ZLTO emphasizes that many family businesses are getting into trouble because of the new rules.

In addition, ZLTO is of the opinion that livestock farmers be disadvantaged, compared to colleagues in other provinces. "ZLTO-Advisors have now had conversations with hundreds of farmers and concluded that the number that does not achieve this financially or does not want to invest anymore is only increasing", according to the representative.

Applying for a permit
The regulation says farmers must adapt their barns by 2022 and apply for a permit by 2020. "Applying for a permit takes on average longer than 1 year. The period to apply for the new permit is therefore demonstrably short." Also for a number of animal categories there are no or insufficient housing systems available to meet the new standards (for example for young stock, beef cattle, calves and goats).

ZLTO and Linssen Lawyers are hopeful about the matter. "I have every faith that we will win this case. The impact of the early policy is disproportionate. You simply cannot demand this from the Brabant livestock farmers," said Janus Scheepers, director of ZLTO.

View the day-to-day.

Kimberly Baker

Kimberly Bakker is an all-round editor at Boerenbusiness. She also has an eye for the social media channels of Boerenbusiness.

k.baker @boerenbusiness. Nl

© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.